ADELOWO OLADIPO recently engaged the founder of God First Ministries Worldwide, Archbishop Isaac Idahosa, who was the guest speaker at a two-day crusade organized by the leadership of Niger State chapters of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN). He speaks about national issues and the economic recession.
What is your mission in Niger at this time?
It is God’s mandate that has been carrying me around before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. I have held limitless conferences, revivals, and spreading the Word of God everywhere. We had to continue when the lockdown was lifted and this is why we came to Minna, Niger State. Our main goal is to bring about unity in the body of Christ and the power of God in the places we go to preach the Word of God. My mission to Niger is significant; I started here, precisely in 1989 and it is necessary to return to Niger State and bring the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Our core message is to bring people together as one body in Christ. Our unison will spring forth fire revival.
What lesson did the recent youth protests teach us as a people and the government?
If you are dissatisfied as a Nigerian with what is happening in this country, I think you should be allowed to bare your mind because if you don’t vent out your anger or you are not given the opportunity to say out what is in the mind, it is like you are being allowed to accumulate anger and that could lead to serious danger. However, we must find ways to dialogue with the youths because they are not just about the future; they are leaders from now. So, if the protest was hijacked by hoodlums, it is quite unfortunate, but that does not mean it was not a very good platform for the expression of their grievances with the system. So, the government should be able to dialogue with the youths, and think about bringing on board some policies that are capable of positively affecting the lives of the youths. The youths should have rooms or platforms for employment and where they can bare their mind to be included in the governing of the state and the country at large.
What is your take on the Federal Government’s decision to haunt down the alleged sponsors of the EndSARS protest by prosecuting and freezing their bank accounts?
To me, that is a wrong step in the wrong direction by the government. That is an act of throwing the baby out with the bathwater altogether. If you should freeze their accounts, it means you did not like what they did in the first place. So, you should not be a hypocrite. It is not as if we are saying we liked how the whole thing played out, but it is a plain action for the government to do the needful. However, I want to urge the youths to be patient and see the government’s implementation.
We condemn the act of prosecuting any Nigerian over the protest because the protesters don’t have two countries except Nigeria and they must make things work. The government has already signed into law ‘the not too young to rule’ Bill but what remains for the government to do is just the implementation. As we are gravitating towards the 2023 general election, the youths and eligible voters in Nigeria should go and obtain their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and be prepared to vote for the candidates of their choice because it is all about democracy. The youths must take advantage of the next election to change the country’s narrative for good.
Do you think the body of Christ is speaking with one voice and is united enough to fight a common cause in the forthcoming political dispensation?
It will take us some time to speak with one voice. It is imperative to be in one accord and speak with one voice. Once there is diversification of language, there would be no achievement. Unity nullifies uselessness. As a body of Christ, we must be able to come together genuinely and speak to love one another. What brought me to Niger State is love. For instance, I flew from Lagos to Abuja and from Abuja I came by road to be here, just to be a blessing to the state and both the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) of the state chapters was on the ground to receive me. We need to find a way to synergize and speak with one voice. That makes all the difference, regardless of your denomination, whether you are an ECWA or Pentecostal or a Catholic or an Anglican Church member because we are one.
What is your advice for the body of Christ in Nigeria as we are moving closer to the year 2023 polls?
Christians at large must participate and be more involved in partisan politics because evil men thrive when good men do not participate in decision-making. The government has promised electronic voting during the next general election and this development would reduce electoral fraud. You can see what is happening in the United States of America currently; it is nothing to write home about. The Americans that we copied as our model are now having challenges. We should try and participate. It should not be about prayers alone.
Would you say you have achieved your main goal as you have clocked 30 in ministry?
No, this is the work of God and one must not claim the glory of God’s wonders. We still have more grounds to cover. The work of God is moving forward and we are not resting from doing His will. I have just acquired some parcels of land costing about N250 million to build a hospital behind Mega-City in the Lekki area of Lagos with a view to giving back to the society and the underprivileged in the society as a way of appreciating God for His kindness. It is always good to give back to society; this goes a long way more than preaching. I am committed to giving back and I hope that God will help me to achieve my entire dream in this regard. It will interest you to note that I started from Minna in 1989 and I started the church with 50 kobo and this has multiplied beyond my imagination.
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