The President of Cross Rivers State Christian Leaders’ Forum, Bishop Josef Bassey, is furious with the brief suspension of public assemblies in school across the state. The founder of God’s Heritage Centre, Gloryland Calabar told Sunday Oguntola why such move must never be considered in the future
The Christian Community in Cross Rivers State reacted very strongly to the suspension of devotions in public and private schools. What was it so?
Well, it took all of us by surprise. That was the most unfortunate development in our state lately. One never imagined it would ever happen. The Permanent Secretary sent a memo to that effect and we were all aghast. But we are grateful it has been rescinded.
Did Christian leaders like you meet with government officials to ask why the directive was issued in the first place?
The moment it happened, we did. The chairman of CAN did. I did too in my capacity as Chairman of Cross Rivers Christian Elders Forum. All concerned Christian leaders in the state did because that was a suicidal development capable of setting the state on fire and destroying the future generations.
How could that be?
You see you cannot talk about peace, progress and development anywhere in the world without taking the beliefs of people into consideration. Societies aren’t run by governments; they are run by the beliefs of people.
If we are taking about crimes and corruption, you cannot get effective results by laws and security agencies. Once characters have been formed, law enforcement agencies cannot change those characters. They only seek to punish offenders or try to provide machinery to deter people from breaking the laws.
So, corruption is not an art; it is a character. The only system that can cure corruption, entrench morality, love, peace and integrity is religion, which is the belief systems of the people. All the major religions of the world have fundamental tenets.
When you stop devotions, you are destroying the fibres of people’s beliefs. It is like literally taking away their hearts and just leaving them with bodies. You have actually killed them systematically.
But the government explained the move was to forestall terrorist attacks based on intelligence. Wasn’t that enough to take such a step?
Yes, they said so and I have been privileged to speak with the Commissioner of Police, who clarified they had some security reports to that effect. But that is still most unacceptable. That excuse doesn’t fly.
Cross Rivers State is the most peaceful and secured state. You see government didn’t achieve that for us. It is there because it is a Christian State. Cross Rivers is not a PDP or APC State. It is a Christian State. The peace and security we experience is traceable to the fact that people have been raised on a certain belief system to love others and eschew evils.
That was not achieved by government but the church. The credit has to be placed exactly where it should be. Morality took a flight because missionary schools were taken over by the military. The disaster we have today started then. Before then, Nigerians were honest and straightforward. But when government took over schools, they nailed the coffin on integrity, morality and character. That is what will happen again should the directive on suspension of assemblies stand.
It could have been about security but why haven’t public assemblies been stopped in the northeast despite terrorist attacks? Why not in the west where they had been reports terrorists were trying to strike? Why in Cross Rivers where there had been no trace of public disturbance, let alone terrorism?
I think it is the most erratic thing I ever heard. It is insanity in rampage. Even if it was about security, why should you suspend assemblies?
The reports allegedly said they attacks were targeted to take place during assemblies…
… Did they say that? Are we really sure? Okay, if you suspend assemblies can’t they attack the schools during classrooms? If it is about terrorists planning to strike, we know their patterns. If it were so, stakeholders should have been involved. They should have spoken to them about the intelligence.
Security is a collaborative effort worldwide; it cannot be the responsibility of security forces alone. Were the stakeholders involved? Were Police operatives posted to man the schools? Why target the assemblies first? I just can’t understand because we like to hide under security reports to do a lot in this country.
Are you saying there could be more to the suspension than meet the eyes?
I really wished they weren’t more to it. But these have thrown up a lot. I have been bombarded with so many questions that I hope weren’t so. Many are saying it couldn’t just have been that. So, if it is just not about that, what could it be about? I really wished I could tell what it is.
Why Cross Rivers? Why do you think the State could be a subject of interest to anybody?
I really don’t know. I wished I could tell. As a Christian leader, we take this seriously and personally. We consider it an attack on our faith. And anybody toying with that had better be ready to take out all the indigenes of Cross Rivers because we are one hundred percent Christians.
Cross Rivers is a Christian state. It is not a PDP or APC state. That must be understood and respected. The constitution guarantees our association to free worship and association.
But the suspension has been lifted. Are you appeased?
Yes, we are more than pleased. But the fact that it happened even for once was an affront and we take serious exemption to that.
How did you feel while the suspension lasted?
I was pained. I never imagined it could happen during our lifetime. I never knew it could happen in our state. We were scandalised; it threw up a lot of questions about the strength of our faith. People confronted me with many insinuations and I hope they are not.
People also read political motives to the directive. There are talks that the governor could be preparing to defect to the APC?
I want to say unequivocally that it can’t true. The governor is very reasonable and intelligent. I know him personally and believe he will never set the state on fire for whatever religious or political reasons. I don’t see the governor playing any religious politics with the issue.
I believe those toying with that idea should stop it. What we need is peace and not destabilisation. This issue has taught people lessons. You cannot think as a public official that you know everything and can determine for the people without consulting them.
The church has a system in place where we can reach the nooks and crannies of the state in less than 24 hours. If we were carried along, we would have offered our inputs and prevented the outcries that the directive attracted.
But is Cross Rivers under threat or vulnerable to terrorism?
In the world today, every place is vulnerable. If Pentagon could be vulnerable, you know that every place is vulnerable. But we must be at alert and not encourage anything that will give anyone reasons to sabotage the peace we enjoy in the state.
