Anthony Cardinal Olubunmi
Okogie, the first President of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), has spoken
on the politicisation of CAN and involvement of Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor in the
$9.3 million cash-for-arm deal.
The former Archbishop of
Lagos in an interview with New Telegraph Newspaper said the present leadership
of the body is “zero”
Reacting to a question on
whether CAN is actually acting like an arm of the federal government or an
appendage of the PDP as some critics say, Okogie responded: “I
must tell you this; CAN leadership today is zero. CAN has no leader. Thank God
you are talking to one of the founders of CAN, and I was there as their leader
for eight years. Then, the whole country knew that CAN had a leader, not by my
own might, but by God. Because what we were doing then, we had only one voice.
But the problem we have now is that people are struggling for power in
unrighteous way.”
“And because he is struggling for power, he can do
little or nothing. Power doesn’t come like that.
Look at David in the Scriptures. Look at Solomon. Even look at Herbert Macaulay
and other early nationalists. You don’t force yourself to
power. This is what is happening. Somebody is telling you that if you don’t
allow him to rule, you will not rule well. So the person struggling for power
is not going to do better. Now, election is coming in 2015 and some people are
already saying they must be there. They will not allow the electorate to
decide.
“They are ready with their moneybags. Where did they
get the money from? Where did they get the $9.3m that has been seized by South
Africa from? They said it was to buy arms. We have to be very careful in this
nation. What is the man (Oritsejafor) looking for? If you call yourself a man
of God, then you should rely on God. Why should he be jumping up and down? But
because he was not elected, not chosen by God, that is what is happening.
Today, he wants to build a university, tomorrow he wants to be something else,
next tomorrow he wants to be like other people.
“Then why is he there as CAN president? In our day and
time, election was done by the groups and we know how we go about it. I think I
ruled for two terms, eight years. If there was any trouble anywhere in the
country, they would come to the centre. And it wouldn’t
take time. We would just come to the centre and solve it and I will speak out
and the whole nation would listen. Sometimes, you would hear people say, “Has
Okogie spoken?” “What did Okogie say?”
There was unity, because that’s what we are looking
for.
“And we didn’t buy the position.
But this time around, because they are rushing to be in power, nobody obeys
them. And look at how they are making mockery of themselves and making mockery
of “religion”. Is that religion?
Today, they are with the federal government. We saw the writing on the wall
when we left. The very first person that took over started romancing with
Obasanjo. Then one or two CAN presidents tried their best before it got to this
present CAN president, Oritsejafor. This is not right. Look at how Oritsejafor
has fallen, from grace to grass.
“And he is not going down alone, he is also staining the
name of the Head of State. Of course, why not? If you eat with those with dirty
hands, then you must be dirty. And this is the man that they are saying should
come and rule the nation for a second term. They think people are stupid. They
have not even answered about this $9.3m, and when the matter got to the House
of Reps, they said they should throw it out. Can you imagine? Are they not the
ones making laws on money laundering? And this is a case of real money
laundering. These are lawmakers.
”And they say throw it out, we will not entertain any
discussion on this $9.3m matter. Can you imagine! You can imagine that these
are the kind of people we have in the National Assembly. And then of course,
the relationship between Nigeria and South Africa is strained. Look at the T.B.
Joshua building collapse affair, and they think all South Africans are stupid.
Just watch and see what comes out of these two affairs. These are bad signs.
Tomorrow now, they will say Nigeria is the giant of Africa and the economy of
Nigeria is booming, with mouth. The Head of State is a PDP man and he
(Oritsejafor) is linked with this rubbish. So what other proof do you want that
CAN has now become an appendage of the PDP?
Asked if he believes that
President Jonathan and Oritsejafor have a case of money laundering to answer,
the cleric said: “Of course, they have. In fact, if I have a lawyer, I
would sue them. And I am telling you that I will win. If you can tell me that
if I carry huge sums of money without declaring it, that you will arrest me for
money laundering, then what is this one. They were carrying all that money and
it was not declared. It is a clear case of money laundering. Yet, they are the
ones making laws against money laundering.
“The report that the aircraft which flew some Nigerians
and an Israeli to South Africa allegedly to purchase arms belongs to Pastor Ayo
Oritsejafor has once again revived the debate about the propriety of ministers
of God owning private jets. What is your view about this episode?
“As far as I am concerned, why are they men of God? I
asked one so-called religious leader, and you know what he told me? He said, “My
God is a rich God. So if yours is a poor God, that’s
your business.” Imagine! So you can even see that this one can’t
be called a man of God. And these are the people that tell you they can work
miracles, that they have a direct telephone line to God.
“They say they can do this, they can do that, and God
is watching all of us. If it were to be in the Old Testament, they would all have
been struck down by God. But God is a patient God. We have to be praying for
this kind of people, for them to have a change of heart. What are they looking
for with jet? Another one said, “Jesus said go into
the whole world and evangelise, so how can I go into the whole world, with
what? I need a plane to be able to go to the whole world.”
“Even the devil can quote scripture. But did Jesus
Christ say you should go and steal to go and buy plane? But now they are
claiming that they were given the jets as gifts. But why can’t
they spend that money on the poor? There are many Nigerians who are begging
that they have nothing to eat, and yet you say you’re
preaching. Preaching for what? Are there no pastors where they are going? May
God not punish us according to our sins
On government’s
negotiations with the Boko Haram sect, the respected cardinal reacted this way:
“When you talk of Boko Haram, who are they? How can you
say you are going to negotiate with a nebulous group? They have not declared
their identity. Are you going to be talking to the air? The people you want to
negotiate with, who are they? Have they even given you their own terms? You can’t
know or see them because they are nebulous people.
“And if you’re bold enough they
will come and kill you. And you yourself, you need to know what you are
negotiating for? Did you offend them? You are just sitting down and somebody
tells you to quit. Look at all the innocent people they have killed, and taken
innocent people (Chibok girls) hostage, and there is supposed to be a governor
in that place. What was the governor doing, if he has no hand in it? If I were
the Head of State, he would be the first person I would arrest.
“Where do they (Boko Haram) get their arms from? How
did they enter? There are many questions to be answered. And then you are now
talking of negotiation. For what? What if they say for negotiation the Head of
State should quit? Will he be ready to quit? Or what if they say government
should give them so and so people in exchange for the Chibok girls, what kind
of negotiation is that? To me, I don’t buy it at all.”
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