The Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), South West Region and President of the Gospel Baptist Conference of Nigeria and Overseas(GBCN), Archbishop Magnus Atilade, spoke with Sunday Oguntola on national and sundry issues. Excerpts:
Plans to hold the national conference have started. Do you think this confab will succeed?
Well, I believe this is what we have been clamouring for in the last few years. I was part of the first press conference where Papa Enahoro, the late Omojola and I advocated that we should have a conference to talk. You know we all have different opinions on what should be the political climate of Nigeria. So, yes, we need to dialogue at ethnic nationalities’ level and find common denominators that we can build upon.
I believe the dialogue is good for us and we needed to have held it like years ago.
The contention among the oppositions is that this is just another talk shop that will not take us anywhere considering that the outcomes will still be ratified by the National Assembly. They say it’s just a gimmick to buy time.
No. Buy time for what? We are still going to have the elections in 2015. Though I would have preferred that we subject the recommendations to a plebiscite or referendum instead of passing through the National Assembly, it is still all good. There is no way the National Assembly can undo what most of our states and local governments have decided on the country.
You see, I don’t want us to work from the position of suspicion or distrust. I hear talks about this being a distraction and all that but we should believe for once. You see, talking can never have negative impact on the country. When we talk, even the bitterest of enemies can become friends. It lessens tensions and creates understanding. We can then move forward.
But we had a national confab in 2005 under former President Obasanjo and nothing came out of it. How are we sure this won’t go the same way?
You see then, only a select group of people was talking. The selected few were being teleguided into a pre-conceived direction. There were like the Master’s voices. But this time, it is Nigerians that will be talking to the committee and reporting back to the appropriate quarters. It will be done in the open. We need to talk for this tension to go down.
Can you trust the current administration to see through the process?
Well, by nature and calling, I am an incurable optimist. I am a man of faith and a certified optimist. I always believe in the best from people. Let’s give this the benefit of the doubt until it is otherwise proven. So, let’s all go there, knowing all will go well. We want the best for Nigeria and we should work towards that. What’s anybody gaining from the current mess in the country? No education, health facilities, nothing at all. What is good about Nigeria now? We need to change gears for a new nation. We should not write Nigeria off just yet. This country will rise again.
What is the basis for such assurance?
You see the hands of God are on this country. You can’t but acknowledge that. How many countries have what we have? There is nothing good God created that you won’t find here. We have good climate, vegetation and natural resources. Our people are one of the most brilliant in the world. You know God has favoured us from creation but He won’t come down to manage these resources for us.
Our problem has been management of resources and people. I heard one minister saying that foreigners are the ones stealing our oil. How is that possible? Foreigners can’t do that without the active connivance of big, influential people. They are the ones that will tell the security operatives to look away while the oil robbers are around. Ordinary, poor Nigerians cannot organise oil theft. So, we lack patriotic and nationalistic leaders that can take us to the Promised Land. That is why they and we the masses are not any secure. None of us can sleep with our two eyes closed.
How does it make you feel that ASUU has been on strike for close to four months now?
I feel very, very bad. I have said that the problem started from the point of negotiation. How can some people negotiate for government and promise what they know is not practicable? Were they given full authorities to negotiate for government? Were they sleeping when they signed the agreements? Did they get the consent of government before signing? If they did, then a responsible government must honour the agreements.
But, on the other hand, ASUU should also temper their anger. The students are suffering and need to go back to school. ASUU should not be too rigid but see how they can meet government half-way. The issues they are fighting for cannot be resolved at once. I suggest both parties see how they can implement the agreements in phases and stages. We should work with the principles of arbitration to move forward.
Some people say government should have no business offering free education at the tertiary level because of the huge costs. Do you subscribe to this?
We the socialists and welfarists have said over the years that there should at least be universal primary education and tuition-free education in secondary schools. Nothing can be done about tertiary education because it is not compulsory that everybody should go to universities. We only need to have our people go through basic education to be able to survive the world of today.
Nigerians should be ready to pay their way for tertiary education but basic education should be free for all. We have the resources to do this but our leaders are too greedy. Many of them are insincere, incompetent, incapable and lack knowledge. What we have is more than enough with competent people in government.
You trained as a medical doctor but have not practised for how many years now?
Well, I like to qualify myself as a practitioner of Complimentary Alternative Medicine (CAM). I will say I have not been in active practice but I have been practicing too because once you are a doctor, you are a doctor. I still consult and offer advice every now and then.
But people don’t seem to be able to reconcile your position as a church leader with the use of herbs…
We use herbs and other modalities. Basically, we advocate drugless treatment. If you have a fracture and I recommend massaging with hot water as against taking drugs, I have helped with alternative methods.
Coming to your question, there is no discrepancy at all. Jesus Christ came to save and help people. Did he just save people? He also healed them. I believe I am a preacher who can offer holistic services to the human race. I save souls and heal like Christ. I help to address spiritual and physical needs of the congregation. So, I feel privileged to be used by God in that direction.
Does using alternative medicine not diminish your influence as a spiritual helper?
No, it doesn’t. I believe it is complementary. I have a faith clinic, for example, where we pray for people and they come back with stimulating testimonies. But you also see Jesus using alternative medium. A blind man came to him and he spat and restored his sight. So, we do that too. We pray and use alternative mediums and my own field is chiropractic medicine. It means done by hands. We handle back bones, joints and spinal cords. We use hands to manipulate everything. So, we lay hands and pray.
What has been happening lately in the South West CAN?
Well, we have been facing some challenges, but to the glory of God, we are winning. There has been great suspicion across the South West because most of the governors are not Christians. We have had many churches demolished in the process of constructing roads and all that. In Oyo State, for example, we met with the governor and worked out modalities to mitigate the issue. In Osun, we have the issue of reforms in the education sector but we are working on it. We are adopting dialogue because there is so much distrust. We hear there is an Islamic agenda, which nobody has been able to explain. My attitude is can any governor convert everybody to any religion? How can he do that? How much can he spend to do that?
In Osun, the church has been educating over 75% of the critical masses for years. You can’t just wish or take away that legacy. You can’t reverse all that. It will be a mistake for any governor to want to impose any religion on the people. The people will resist. They will fight and at the end of the day, there is a God of justice that will undo whatever is being done. It is a project that no one should embark upon because another four or eight years, the governor will go and someone else will come to undo all these.
So, for me, it is important we keep talking because, for example, you can’t go to a mosque with your shoes on. In the same vein, you can’t want to attend a missionary school with your hijab. If you must wear your hijab, you find a school that allows it. The issue of universal uniform cannot apply to schools.
I believe the way out really is that schools should be returned to their original owners in Osun State. We have done it in Lagos and we see what differences are being made. There is no how the government can be involved in running all schools.
The leadership crisis in Lagos CAN has dragged on for years. Isn’t there a way out?
Well, I have been given the mandate by the national body to mediate. Since I am directly involved, I won’t be able to say much about it. We are meeting and working towards reconciliation.
