Primate, African Church, Emmanuel Josiah Udofia, in this interview with Adeola Ogunlade, spoke on the resolved leadership crisis in the church, the herder/farmer crisis and the killings across Nigeria. The cleric urged the president to see himself as father to Nigerians and how such can inspire hope in the country.
What can the government do to curb the killings across the country, especially in the North?
It’s true that what we are experiencing in Nigeria is making people afraid. I think what the government should do is to take a holistic approach on the leadership of the nation because in everything, leadership matters. Everything rises and falls on the leader of any organisation. I think it’s time for our leaders to sit down to see where they have fallen and rise up from there. If you look back, you will know that a lot of injustice is going on. So many things happened which led to these killings.
Another thing fuelling insecurity across the country is the grazing route issue: do you think the president is right to revisit the pre-independent grazing routes?
The national grazing routes are what most Nigerians have been talking about. I think open grazing should not be a Federal Government’s issue because I believe in taking care of the cows and others – these animals are owned by individuals, they are not being owned by the Federal Government. A situation where the Federal Government decides to take it as a policy – which is what many people are talking about – it’s as if the whole country is rearing cows. So, our president should lead us and know that he is a father to all Nigerians, irrespective of where anybody comes from.
I would like to take you to the church, the African Church, in particular. You spoke about leadership earlier. What is the situation in the leadership crisis in your church?
By the grace of God, I told you the other time that it is a family. You are bound to have some misunderstandings. The African Church is just a family. What happened was just a misunderstanding. By the grace of God, it’s all over. The African Church is one now. By the grace of God, I am resuming tomorrow (Wednesday, September 1) as the Primate of the African Church.
That means you stepped aside earlier…
No, no, no; I didn’t step aside. Sorry, is it because I said I am resuming ….OK. By the grace of God I am going back…
Indirectly you are saying the power tussle in the church has been resolved and both parties have agreed to work together?
Yes, everything about the crisis is over. There has been reconciliation – the church has reconciled both parties.
Now that the church has reconciled, how long will you be there as the primate of the African Church?
By the grace of God, I will be in office by the grace of God when as agreed.
When will that be?
By the grace of God by next year.
Will the other party be the one to take over the mantle of leadership from you or will there be an election?
No. I don’t think there will be any other election because there is already an incoming primate.
What will be the next move for you? Will you be retiring to the farms?
No. I cannot go to the farm. By the grace of God, I am a preacher to the end. Even as a retired preacher, you will still be invited to preach in churches and other places, and I will still be attending meetings and national programmes.
Finally, for most parts of the southeast, there has been a sit-at-home order every other Monday by IPOB. Do you think this is the right move?
Well, everybody knows that for a whole region once in a week to stay idle – everything will be paralysed. I don’t think it’s healthy enough; everybody knows it’s not healthy enough because it affects every part of that area – spiritually, economically and otherwise.
