We rejected politicians’money — Uche, Methodist Prelate

9 years ago

We rejected politicians’money — Uche, Methodist Prelate

Prelate of Methodist Church Nigeria, Dr. Samuel Kanu Uche, in this interview,warns politicians not to give the military any chance to form an interim government. Excerpts…

What are the things that bother you when you see political happenings in Nigeria?

What bothers me most is the radicalism and immaturity on the part of Nigerian politicians.

They don’t seem to be matured; they behave like infants. In fact, if you look at their campaigns—there is what we call in psychology infantile aggression—that is what they are manifesting.

These people don’t see themselves as servants of the people. They see themselves as masters; and they see themselves as the owners of Nigeria. It will be foolishness on my part to think that Methodist Church Nigeria belongs to me because God has given me the privilege of being the number one person and the leader of the entire people. I am leading people that are professionals in various professions counting in millions. I cannot deceive myself that I am their boss.

I see myself as their servant and I behave myself as their servant. That is why we consult before we do anything. Some people believe if they don’t rule Nigeria everything will disintegrate.

Some people are sponsoring Boko Haram because they want to cause confusion so that the elections do not hold. Why are they doing so? God will expose everything at the end of the day. I am not impressed. They know the situation was dicey. In fact, the postponement of the elections was a prayer answered because most of us were fasting and praying. If elections had held at that time, there would have been bloodshed. I believe that tempers are cooling down now; and some people are coming to their senses.
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The Church has become a place where politicians go to curry favours. Do you see this as a healthy development?

It is not! I saw some hungry pastors on television who want to make money. Somebody wanted to address us in our convention held weeks ago, and there was a promise that they were going to pay about 80 per cent of the bill, which ran into N50 million. And if I had agreed, they would have come to my house and dropped the money. I said ‘No. The climate is not favourable. Don’t come.

I don’t want any party here. Stop that, if we don’t have money we will drink garri. After all we are going for prayer.’ I rejected it and they were not happy. For me, integrity matters more than money. I cannot sacrifice my name for money. My name is of more value in the presence of God, before God and before humanity. Now they are saying that pastors were given N6 billion. I sleep well because it doesn’t concern me. You can’t trace a kobo to my pocket. It depends on who is a pastor. You know now, there is no job in Nigeria. And people who are failures, when they move around, it is easy to go to a bookshop or a collaring factory, buy collars, buy a coat and a shirt and wear a chain like me. And most of them are regional, general and all these things. Some of them answer Rt. Rev. Prof. Dr. (laughter).

At a recent meeting, we spoke with one voice and decided that no Christian youth should involve in thuggery. Go and vote, exercise your franchise and go home; we are not going to kill.

You know, we have suffered a lot. When we were deliberating, there were some film clips we watched, and we were weeping. You see where a Christian man is brought before his family and slaughtered as a goat, and dismembered just because he is a Christian. They are saying insurgency is not religious. How is it not religious when you are selective? If you go to Borno State, the nine local governments affected are all Christian local governments. Why? I don’t want to read their minds; maybe they don’t want Christians to cast their votes.

That is how I look at it. Truth is bitter. May be they don’t want Christians to cast their votes so that when they come no Christian should be voted for.

You don’t advocate that anybody should be treated badly on the basis of religion. You hear of somebody who has stolen money and he now goes to the public and makes sure he gives salt and rice and you vote for him. You mortgage your future and the future of your children. It is not fair; people are hungry and I am sorry, it has gone to every profession.

Do you also agree that clergymen should not take side with any political party?

In Methodist Church, we came up with a decision during our Bishops Conference in 2011 when we said that any Methodist minister that wants to go into partisan politics should first resign; give us a letter of resignation. I have reverend ministers who are either in the Education Board or Pilgrims Board or sometimes State Radio, somebody who will be a Chaplain. I do recommend them and they go to serve; but it is not their main profession; they are giving a church; the only benefit is that when they go to serve and we know they are there, we only give them allowance. That saves the church some money.

But you cannot go and carry card and be partisan. If you do it, that day I will invite you to my office and force you to resign, that is our policy.

There are talks about interim government.

Should there be another postponement will that be justification for formation of an interim government?

Elections cannot be scuttled. Every other thing may be sacrosanct, but that of governorship or governance is not. If you look at the constitution, there is a provision that where there is a stalemate, that the incumbent can continue for six months. That is what is provided in the constitution. So, I don’t think that there will be an interim administration. People are gearing for that. I have privileged information, many months before it was made public. And at the circle where we discuss is a mixture of intellectuals not only Christians. It was mentioned and we said it is a very retrogressive step. We don’t want interim government because it means that soldiers will come or police. We don’t want it. We should pray that election holds on March 28.

The politicians are to blame if there is interim government. If we unite as leaders in Nigeria, Christians, Muslims we can take away any government. I don’t know if you are conversant with what happened in Egypt. The Egyptians demonstrated it. So we can say no. Nobody has a monopoly of problems. As I am sitting now in this place, do you think that if I issue a paper and say all Methodists, men, women, young men come to the street; don’t eat for one month; and another religious leader does it and another Islamic leader does it, there will be commotion? Even the leaders will run away.

But the point is that they say that Nigerians are the happiest people in the world. They smile and they laugh and they dance under suffering.

That’s what people have said, that Nigerians are the happiest people even when they are dying they are dancing and singing. So, that is the problem we have; but we can say no. We can say enough is enough. We can say it.

But I am not calling for insurrection; people should allow polls go on and let votes count and let there be no manipulation. If it goes this way just allow it, if it goes the other way just allow it; whoever emerges let him rule. The voice of the people is the voice of God. Nigeria is ours but you know another problem we have in this country is illiteracy.

What is your assessment of the performance of INEC so far?

For me, when Jega won my heart as a lover of the Lord in 2011, was during the election which was adjudged as credible. He conducted an election in Anambra that is controlled by APGA. In Ekiti that was controlled by APC and in Edo under Oshiomhole, he conducted the elections on a free and fair basis. What people don’t know is that Israel has grown to 8.5 million and some of these West African countries are less than two million; but that somebody is organising elections for this country that is up to 60-70 million is not easy.

They are doing their best. They have produced so many cards but the problem is distribution. I heard that some PVCs were stolen. I don’t know by whom. I heard that there was double or triple registration. If they are truthful to themselves they should know who the people are.

Some within the Christian circle believe that the way to check threats of islamising the country is to have a Christian occupy the presidency. What is your take on that?

A Nigerian is a Nigerian. What determines vote in this country is the counting of ballot paper and scores. I lived in Kano for two years and all my security men were Muslims. I am not going to campaign on the bases of religion. Let the best candidate win. I don’t need to determine the best candidate, Nigeria will determine the best candidate. It is basic for us to live together. That is why when I preached on the Armed Forces Remembrance Day, I said nobody can islamise Nigeria and nobody can christianize Nigeria.