Christians are not minorities in Nigeria —Pastor Odesola

Pastor Funso Odesola is the Assistant on Administration/Personnel to the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG). In this interview with SEYI SOKOYA, the popular cleric speaks on consistent attacks on Christians and churches, including national issues.

The General Overseer of the church, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, recently cleared the air on the ‘fire for fire’ reports regarding the attacks on Christians; what is your take?

It is just a way of mellowing it because defense doesn’t have to do with guns. I need to ask you: if you are in your house and a thief or an unwanted visitor comes in with a club in his hands will you just be watching? It is a way of asking people not to be dogmatic about watching. We need to love but when it is becoming so unbearable you also need to defend yourself. If it is a gun you are buying you will need a license. But like our father in the Lord said, you don’t need a stick with a nail on the edge. This you can equate with the jawbone of an ass. The thing is that maybe the church has been taken for a ride for so long; it is high time we stood up for our own rights. Christians are not second citizens in this nation and we are not a minority, we are majority. There is no way the minority could be troubling the majority and come to think of it, we bring a lot of things to the plate of the economy of this nation. The church, aside paying salaries of full timers, they use the rest of the income on other people.

I know many things they have pushed backward and forward like the one that, they (churches) provide education which people pay seriously for. Anything good has to be paid for; you can’t hire professors for free, and you have to pay them well. When you look at how much is used in running a school and the amount of money people bring, you will know the difference. As the governing board chairman of Redeemer’s College of Technology and Management (RECTEM), I know the amount of salaries and the amount of school fees paid. If we don’t take money from somewhere we can’t maintain all the facilities they are using there.

Like I said earlier, the thing is that the church has so long been taken for a ride. How many times have they said many nasty things about Jesus and who reacted? The church has to defend itself, also individuals. With the way things are going that the government can’t guarantee security, the security personnel will tell us they don’t have adequate equipment and personnel, that means they want everyone to be a security personnel. Then a security person must have paraphernalia of security to secure his local environment.

But people are of the opinion that the situation might get worse when people start going about with weapons as part of self-defense?

People are free to make comments. For the lawmaker that says self-defense will lead to terror, he should know we are already in a state of terror; they are only living in self-deceit. None of them goes anywhere without an escort, without an armed police escort and they say they are talking for the masses, which is a lie. They want us to believe in an illusion and that is not godly. That is not good for those people who are making policies. That is not good for our governance because we are already in a situation of terror but they have paraphernalia of defending themselves and their families. Most of their family members are not in Nigeria. They don’t get medical attention in Nigeria. They want us to believe a lie. This is why the problem is hindered from being solved.

What is your take on the handling of the case of Owo church killings?

From the onset we said the hidden agenda of the government is so clear from the way Boko Haram, kidnappers and bombers are handled, there is a motive. Which of these killer herdsmen, Boko Haram members and others have been tried or sentenced to serve as a deterrent to others? The government can do better.

What do you think the Church can do differently in terms of safeguarding lives of worshippers?

Each household must see how they can guide their home against intruders, the churches instead of waiting to carry placards should be proactive in guarding against intruders that will come to destabilise the church. We should not just play religion because in the days of Nehemiah when they were building, they had weapons for security and at the same time tools for working. They also had people watching over those working. If that is the way it will go now for us to have peace so be it. We grew up in his country. We cannot run away as some of them who are privileged, who have money and have connections do in the country. There are people who don’t even have passports and don’t know where the airport is, not to mention running away.

Ahead of the 2023 elections, what should Nigerian youth do differently?

Instead of the immediate gratification some elders or adults have held on to, the youth should hold on to their destiny. I am sure that the youth can stand up as a unit in this nation and get actively involved in politics. They need to be actively involved, otherwise they will be selling their future. As much as there are so many ungodly practices when it comes to election, the youths are selling their future by getting involved in such. They should follow what is going on and work towards their future because they are bold and courageous. This is why we are emphasising that people get their permanent voters’ card (PVCs) which is the basic because people who want to be manipulative are devising evil means but with this era of social media, different methods also need different tactics. The youths should be actively involved in politics from the grassroots, not even for now but for the future. They should join good associations, pay their dues and be actively involved. Imagine that at the primaries a few people decided the fate of over 200 million Nigerians. When it is time to vote, vote for individuals that can perform, not for parties. With this you will be able to get leaders that are accountable, not those who cannot perform.

Is the church going to advise members on who to vote for?

Politics is not a social media issue, politics is confidential; this is the way I will answer the question.

What is your advise for our leaders concerning the restoration of the country?

Our leaders in this country don’t listen, we are dealing with deaf and dumb leaders. Tell me any of the advice they have adhered to? The leadership of this country is not willing to do anything. Tell me who among them has taken the issue of security seriously? Security is just an addendum on their list. Let us just pray that God will roll their time away. The citizens should have a strong will to change those who don’t want their lifting. Lifting is possible but there are obstacles and some of the obstacles could be the people you trusted with your life and destiny. All you need to do is to see how to navigate the obstacles. Many times I look at some policies in this country and wonder. The tariffs of phone network providers are a rip-off, banks are legalised robbers, and they come up with charge duties. When you have money that is fixed they give you peanuts in return and when you borrow they splash interests. That is not the way to go. Nigeria needs a total overhaul as the citizens are suffering and smiling. It is only God that can deliver Nigeria from oppressors.

Are you concerned about Muslim-Muslim ticket?

I’m purely indifferent when it comes to that, though Nigeria is a secular state, if not because of what they have turned religion to in Nigeria. For me, when it comes to politics, positions should be given to people who can manage and govern well irrespective of their religious backgrounds. My take is that whether a Christian or Muslim if you do not govern well you should be dealt with. It is because some people are using religion to carry out their agenda, otherwise it would not be an issue.