Interview

Universities have lost their universality under Buhari’s govt —Professor Irefi

Professor David Irefi, economist and lecturer at the Kogi State University, Lokoja, who is also an Archbishop of the Brotherhood of the Cross and Star, speaks with GODWIN OTANG on Nigeria’s present economic challenges, among other national issues.

From the time of General Yakubu Gowon to the era of Babangida down to the time of Obasanjo, where do you think Nigeria got it wrong in economic management?

You cannot separate these things from spiritualism. During the era of Gowon, money was everywhere; even when Murtala Mohammed came onboard, there was money. When Shagari came, there was still money. I did my National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) during the era of Obasanjo; my NYSC monthly allowance was N180. I was spending N30 per month and saving N150. There were classmates of mine who saved money to buy new cars. The country was as good as that. But, today, whatever you are paying a corps member, can it feed him or her? The answer is no. We have passed through these stages. During Gowon, we still believed in one Nigeria; we had a good National Anthem that read: “Though tribes and tongues may differ, in brotherhood we stand…”

Our problems started when Obasanjo invited people and brought all kinds of demons and changed our national anthem to ‘compatriots’. And patriots are criminals. I have never seen a patriot who is a good person. Those who have stolen our money, and you say you want to be like that? So since that is what we wanted, criminals took over the government.

Before then, Olumba Obu had warned that Satan was coming to Nigeria and that criminals would take over the Nigerian government. He warned that people would suffer and our Naira would be worthless. He said people would be elected to govern, but there won’t be a government. This is the period, now will you say there is a government? So if in 1973 Olumba Olumba Obu made these statements, that means he has a solution. So if pride will allow Buhari and politicians to come down and seek the face of his Holiness Olumba Olumba Obu, then Nigeria would bounce back! But if pride would not allow them, there will be someone who will have humility to come, because I have stumbled on a few things that show that we are very close. We are moving very close to remedy. The answer, really, is not in the classrooms. As soon as we can get people with humility to approach him, that is the solution to all these problems, because what is happening is created by God. When you disobey God, He allows your punishment. When you see people saying they want to be president, it is not to come and help, but to steal. Those saying it is the turn of my tribe, it is all to take their own share of the national cake, not necessarily that they want to come and develop the place. Only the Holy Spirit of truth is the solution.

But there are concerns that despite the numerous religious organisations in Nigeria, Nigeria still faces huge challenges. From your wealth of experience, what do you think can be done to improve our society?

Just as you have correctly observed, though religious activities are on the increase — traditional religion, Islam, Christianity and others, all these religious activities keep on increasing— the result is very disappointing. But you see, if two plus two is not equals to four, then you have to ask yourself if you are still on the basis of base 10. Which base are we using that we cannot get the solution? No religion is organised by God Almighty. When Adam lost favour with God, the next attempt was to get back to God. So, man has consistently made several attempts to go back to God. That is what is called religion today. But these attempts are not necessarily sufficient conditions to get the favour of God or get back to God. You can stay in the church for several years. All the teachings in religion are misleading. Religion brings division and discrimination. The teachings in the church or mosques or shrines, as the case may be, cannot change the world. All existing religions have nothing to do with the truth, because Jesus Christ said, “It is good that I go, because if I don’t go, the comforter will not come, and when the comforter comes he will lead you to the accurate knowledge of the truth,” So, it means all existing religions have nothing to do with the truth. It now appears as if there are several gods. The teachings are not based on love. So the problems of the world today are the results of misleading teachings. That is what is making people suffer.

We know that Nigeria’s economic status now is nothing to write home about and we keep borrowing. What would you advise against this backdrop?

If you look at economic theories, there is no macro economist that will advise you to be borrowing and borrowing, no way. We have a model of saving for the rainy day. So in this context, you choose between balanced, deficit and surplus budgets. It is left for the individual presidents to choose which angle to operate from. Unfortunately, some have little or no idea in this selection process. You should not consume beyond what you can pay for. There is no free lunch anywhere. In economics, before you would advise anyone to borrow, it means that the money is going to the productive sector. You can’t say you are borrowing to pay salaries. If you do, how will you generate taxes, to pay off the indebtedness? It makes no sense. But not long ago, the chairman of the economic team came out and said we have not borrowed enough. So it is wrong to even bring governors, lawyers into the economic team. In the UK, America, is that what is done? So from the beginning, Buhari and his team have not laid a solid foundation for any economic recovery and we are not surprised. Nobody is surprised at what is happening and the worst will still happen, because what is being borrowed is being stolen. You cannot say infrastructure, because we cannot even see them. They have borrowed in trillions but the investments are nothing to write home about. Even on the railway, how many passengers and at what cost are they using the rail transport? All these make no professional sense.

As a senior member of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), what are your thoughts on the new union the federal government has registered?

Oneness is the solution. I don’t think multiplicity helps. So, when you bring in more unions, you are bringing more crises. These new unions, I don’t know where their members are or whether they even have members. Adding those unions is just out of ignorance. Why not do the right thing? When I was a student here in Nigeria, there were Indian nationals in Nigerian universities. People came from all over the world to lecture and school here. But, today, do you see any foreigner in Nigerian universities? Let Buhari tell the whole world how many countries have students in Nigerian universities? Do we still run universities in Nigeria or local institutions? A university makes sense when it is universal, but Nigerian universities have lost universality. You cannot even see any foreign teachers. It is time for Nigerians to know that the government is misleading them. They should ask Chris Ngige how many foreigners are students in Nigeria. Even Niger Republic is not sending anybody to Nigeria for education. So teachers must become slaves in Nigeria? If somebody is not well fed or paid, how can the person teach well? Karl Max said the first objective of man is to look for food.

What about the Federal Government’s stand on no-work no-pay?

That policy was made out of ignorance. If God was to look at their sins, even Ngige himself would not be alive today. Besides, these people don’t even understand what is happening in the university system. Before we went on strike, most departments were at the verge of writing exams; some had almost rounded off their syllabuses or course outlines. So if you refuse paying the lecturers, how would that knowledge gap be bridged? Because of these issues, for six years now, some of us, including myself, don’t have any leave. But the president always goes on leave. Teachers can no longer go on leave due to the attitude of this government. And funnily enough, these negotiations can be done in one day and conclusions can be reached on the negotiations, but they are saying they have no money. So we don’t have money to fund education in Nigeria? But they have money to send their children abroad.

So does it mean there isn’t any crime continuing the strike?

I am not saying so. I am not for the strike or against it; the Holy Spirit is against strike. The everlasting gospel is against strike. I am not a proponent of strike. But, when you oppress people to a certain level, they will revolt. As of now, the salary I have been receiving since 2010 has been reduced by Buhari’s IPPIS by N100,000. So, even if you don’t want to promote me, why should my salary be less than what I was earning in 2010? If Nigerians hear what this government is doing and take it into consideration, this government will lose its credibility. God is against strike and I am not for strike either, since I believe in God. But I am not for oppression also. This government is oppressive. And this is not a people’s government. Stolen money is making people look proud. As a minister of the Federal Republic, you are a servant, not a boss. Go to Britain or Ghana, their ministers are servants. But look at the way Chris Ngige is behaving; if it were in some of these countries, he would have resigned or they asked him to do so. The teachers have been over-oppressed and if they like, let them recognise a million unions. That’s their business.

Don’t we have economic policies that can help reshape Nigeria’s economy instead of the religious principles you are prescribing?

Is there any country in the world where the economy is good right now? I have seen a few people, someone from America is still here with us in Calabar. I have seen someone from the UK; ask them whether their economies are good. There is no country on earth without a crisis. That you are in a storey building and another person is in a bungalow doesn’t mean you are not suffering. So the world is all suffering. So if classroom teachings and theories are the solution, they are not supposed to be suffering. Why isn’t the poll in America now in favour of President Joe Biden of America? It is because of the economy. In Europe, it is the same economic issue. Everywhere it is the economy. Even with the best professors and professions, they are still in [problem] in America. So it means the solution to economic problems cannot be derived from classrooms.

It is a spiritual thing. And until you understand it, you won’t get out of it. Economics teaches you to be greedy and selfish, but look at the Holy Books, is greed a good thing? Of course, no. So that is the problem. So until we are all elevated by God to the everlasting gospel that has its own economic principles as ‘live and let others live, don’t count sin on anybody’ you can’t escape. These are economic policies which when we key into them, we won’t have problems. We talk about common resources, everything we have belongs to us, so, if it belongs to us, you and I know it must satisfy you and me. We know that conflict must come. But in the areas of conflict, we use humility and patience. That is why the everlasting gospel is needed to help our country.

Concerning 2023, what is the role of the electorate, the ordinary people?

God is not man. If we are to rule according to the holy books, a federal minister must be a servant. If our leaders were servants, Nigeria wouldn’t be like this. But they are bosses. Leadership is a role of servant-hood. The people’s role apart from casting their votes is to pray that ‘God let your will be done’.

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