The primate of the Church of the Lord (TCL) Worldwide, Most Reverend Rufus Ositelu, in this interview with SEYI SOKOYA, speaks about the role of the church in solving Nigeria’s problems and way out to security challenges.
Many people no longer respect prophecies of clerics due to a myriad of prophecies from church leaders including fakes prophecies which had led many Christians into trouble. As a popular church leader, how would you react to this?
It is a good thing that people can acknowledge that there were true prophesies in the olden days and this is the legacy that we have followed to date. Our mission has not deviated from the vision of our fathers; this is why we have been able to stand out. I am so confident that when God speaks it will surely come to pass. We have heard various prophesies for and against the current president and the government of the day. Some even prophesied about who will become the president or governor, but today, we can all see the true and fake prophecies.
We don’t take prophecies for granted at the Church of the Lord. We cherish the voice of God and it has become our guide. We don’t give fake prophecies and there are numerous testimonies; we give glory to God. For instance, there was nowhere in the world that COVID was mentioned before it surfaced, but God revealed it to the Church of the Lord in August 2019. This is the only church in the whole world that prophesied about the deadly disease. It is not as if we are happy about it or celebrating the revelation of the novel disease, but we are only establishing the voice of God to the church. Again, last year August 2021, God revealed to us that by the end of 2022, COVID-19 would be a thing of the past and it indeed became a thing of the past. God has also revealed to us that the economy of the whole world will be better by 2023 than the previous years. Let us wait and see. I am so confident that when God speaks it will surely come to pass.
Aside the doctrine and hearing from God, what other things to you think make the church to stand out among other denominations?
Indeed, the Church of the Lord has enjoyed divine grace and this is what we have leveraged on since the inception of the creation of the church. Kindly note that the church was not founded to boast or compete. We have ensured that we follow the legacy of the founding fathers and the philosophy of the church which has made us to stand out. I remember a cleric who passed a comment when I was celebrated abroad at my 70th birthday. He said: ‘there is something unique about the Church of the Lord. Among all African churches in the United Kingdom, only Church of the Lord has one registration, while other denominations have several registrations at the Charity Commission. Yet even same church with different registrations don’t associate with one another.’
The Church of the Lord is a special and covenant church ordained by God and we pray that God will continue to make us unique and grant us the grace to fulfill our mandate on earth. Mind you this is the only church that the Lagos/Ibadan expressway came to meet. I am proud of the church and I can’t wait that God continue to manifest Himself.
Do you think the CAN Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), has been effective in handling religious matters?
I will say they have been doing what they can, but not as expected. Personally, I have a reservation. But there is another organsiation called Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC). There are 25 Christian and Muslim leaders each. The CAN president and the Sultan of Sokoto are co-chairmen. This council, for me, is more effective because the government listens to whatever they say.
This body discusses issues affecting the nation and we pass our resolutions to the Federal Government and they always acknowledge and act. So, I can say that NIREC is more effective than any other religious organisation in Nigeria.
It is obvious that church leaders are not really united in combating the many challenges confronting the church. What is your take on this?
We are indeed working hard to unite the church and we will not relent in our prayers to make the church one. God will intervene and make us to prevail. The church desires truthful and credible leaders. Personally, I will never associate myself with any ungodly church leader. I am God-fearing and I will always do what is right anywhere I found myself. This is why I will always associate with as well as make as role models church leaders of like minds. I prefer to learn from credible church leaders or elders, who will always speak the truth to power. I know of two persons and they are retired from active service; retired prelate of Methodist Church Nigeria, Sunday Mbang and former Anglican Primate of the Church of Nigeria, Peter Jasper Akinola. I am not saying that they are the only personalities that are credible, but they are the only two persons that I can vouch for.
From my personal experience with church leaders, many of them are interested in money and they are always afraid whenever I am with them. They prefer to share the money that should be used to develop the association. I would say that the church is at fault in ensuring that our political system performs better. We need to check ourselves and make things right. I will never be involved in whatever will bring reproach to the name of God.
How do you see the worrisome state of security in the country?
I am so concerned about the state of the country and it needs urgent attention as government has turned deaf ears to the yearnings of the masses and the killings have refused to stop. This is why there is the need for church leaders to come together and speak with one voice. We need to join forces to unlock Nigeria’s total freedom.
Nigeria needs credible Christian leaders; those that will speak truth to power and not compromise for no reason. Christians across board should not to be intimidated over the many challenges facing Christianity in Nigeria. We should remain steadfast and upright in our way of life.
Let us always speak truth to power and ensure to do the right things and make the country a safe place. Enough of the killing of the masses and Christians including their places of worships. Let us all wake the government of the day up from their slumber.
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The PDP spokesman recalled how the opposition party had on various occasions alerted that the APC government had ceded sovereignty over a large portion of our country to terrorists, “many of whom were imported into our country by the APC.”
He further stated: “From the video, in a brazen manner, terrorists as non-state actors boldly showed their faces, boasting, admitting and confirming their participation in the Kuje Prison break, some of whom were former prison inmates who were either jailed or awaiting trial for their previous terrorism act against our country.
“Nigerians can equally recall the confession by the Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai that the APC government knows the plans and whereabouts of the terrorists but failed to act.
According to Ologunagba, about 18,000 Nigerians have been killed by terrorists between 2020 and 2022 “as the criminals continue to be emboldened by the failures and obvious complicity of the APC and to which the PDP had always drawn attention.”
“This is not politics; this is about humanity and leadership, which leadership sadly and unfortunately is missing in our country at this time,” he said.
The PDP added that it is appalled by “the lame response by the apparently helpless, clueless and deflated Buhari Presidency, wherein it told an agonizing nation that President Buhari “has done all and even more than what was expected of him as Commander in Chief by way of morale, material and equipment support to the military…”
“This is a direct admission of incapacity and failure by the Buhari Presidency and the APC. At such a time, in other climes, the President directly leads the charge and takes drastic measures to rescue and protect his citizens.
“In time of adversity, the President transmutes into Consoler-in-Chief to give hope and succour to the citizens. Painfully, Nigeria does not have a President who cares and can stand as Consoler-in-Chief to the citizens.
“It has now become very imperative for Nigerians to take note and realize that the only solution to this unfortunate situation is to hold the APC government accountable. We must come together as a people, irrespective of our political, ethnic and religious affiliations to resist the fascist-leaning tendencies of the APC administration.
Ologunagba called for an urgent meeting of the National Council of State to advise on the way to go over the nation’s worsening insecurity.
“Our nation must not fall. The resilient Nigerian spirit and ‘can-do- attitude’ must be rekindled by all to prevail on the President to immediately and without further delay, accede to the demand by the PDP and other well-meaning Nigerians to convene a special session of the National Council of State to find a lasting solution since the President has, in his own admission, come to his wit’s end,” the PDP spokesman declared.
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