Nigeria @ 66
OpenLife News reports that the General Overseer of New Life Eternal Ministries, Lagos, Pastor David Adepoju, has said Nigeria is not truly independent at 66, describing the country as still being in bondage to debt and bad leadership.
He lamented that Independence has become a mere celebration on paper for those in power, while ordinary Nigerians continue to battle poverty, insecurity and collapsing infrastructure.
In this no-holds-barred interview with OpenLife’s Senior Staff Writer, Isaac Ngumah, the cleric calls for an urgent return to regional government and fiscal autonomy. He insists that true men of God have no business in politics and warns that the hardship facing families will not end until Christ comes.
Excerpts
What is your assessment of Nigeria at 66. Many say there is nothing to celebrate?
Nigeria is not truly free. True freedom is when the Son sets you free. As a nation, we are in bondage to debt because our leaders keep borrowing from foreign nations instead of developing the country.
Independence has become a celebration on paper, for those in power. In the past, people trooped to the National Stadium to celebrate, but today, nobody remembers it. A debtor is not free from his creditor.
Since 1960, the political elite have failed to forge a unified national vision. Why?
Those who go into government go for selfish interests, not to nurture the nation or its citizens. That is why we are not achieving anything. Look at Ghana and Burkina Faso and see the development there compared to Nigeria.
How would you describe the failure of institutions, low productivity and decaying infrastructure?
Almost every institution has failed – education has failed. Where are the productive industries? PZ, Toyota, Thermocool, Water Corporation, NITEL, NEPA, Federal Housing Authority that built houses for low-income earners, Nigeria Machine Tools in Osogbo – all gone.
We have mineral resources but we failed to develop them. Leaders keep borrowing to buy unnecessary things instead of reviving infrastructure. Bendel Insurance, New Nigeria Bank, all gone. The government has failed.
Nigeria faces poverty, insecurity, corruption, flawed elections and hardship – families struggling to pay school fees, feed and pay medical bills. What is your take?
Both past and present governments do not mean well for the country. Four years is enough to fix something, yet we still have blackouts and our refineries have remained broken for years.
On poverty and corruption – our leaders are corrupt, Nigerians are corrupt. People collect N20,000 to sell their votes, and politicians disappoint once they get into office.
From a biblical point of view, these crises – food, health, poverty – will continue until Christ comes. No human can fully resolve the problems of this world.
Many are calling for restructuring, regional government, fiscal autonomy and constitutional reform to fix colonial imbalances. Do you support it?
Yes. If Nigeria wants to move forward, we must return to regional government where each geopolitical zone governs itself – East, West, South and North – under a united Nigeria.
That will bring competition and development. Awolowo started free education and television in the West under regional government; when we stopped it, we began to retrogress.
Our colonial masters taught us nonsense and put us in a mess. We have amended the constitution about nine times. What we need is a constitution that favours regions – regional autonomy with rights to develop their areas, including their own police, security and control over resources.
Should security and state police be decentralized? Is nepotism and lack of unity responsible for our problems?
How can federal police secure 250 million people? We don’t even have the number recommended by the UN, and they are poorly taken care of. You see policemen on the road soliciting for support to pay school fees and feed their families.If we have regional government, every tribe and ethnicity should secure its own territory – that is how we can secure the nation.
On appointments, it is natural. If I become President, I will use people I know, people loyal to me who will support me. That is what is happening at federal and state levels.
There is nothing like unity in Nigeria; we are deceiving ourselves. Those involved in ethnic and religious crises have lost their minds. We are all created by the same God. The alleged Christian genocide is religious stupidity – killing innocent people serving their Creator in the name of God.
Some say governance has collapsed since 1999 and the forthcoming elections will not change anything. What is your assessment of the President’s Independence speech and the 2027 polls?
Very correct. Since 1999 when the constitution was changed, things started going down. The same people rule for four or eight years and then go to the Senate to rule again.
I don’t pay attention to Independence speeches; they are full of lies and deceit. I am not expecting anything from the forthcoming elections; it is going to get worse.
Should men of God go into politics, and what do you say about flamboyant lifestyles, private jets, expensive church schools and fake miracles?
A true man of God should not be involved in today’s politics because politics is full of lies and deceit. Some men of God use private jets for evangelism, that is understandable, but if it is for pleasure, it is left to them.
Those living flamboyant lives are not ready to make heaven. If churches build schools and hospitals, members should be treated fairly and be able to afford them.
Fake pastors and fake miracles will happen – the Bible already said in the last days false prophets will arise and deceive many.
Tell us about your ministry, its impact, grassroots evangelism and empowerment programs.
God gave me a mandate to start the church, not for money. Our focus is winning souls for Christ, building them and preparing them for the second coming.
We do one-on-one and grassroots evangelism through our evangelism and prayer departments, sharing the gospel and daily materials. Many drug addicts, smokers and prostitutes have been transformed and now worship with us.
We have seen miracles – salvation of souls, the deaf and dumb hearing and speaking, stroke and madness healed, and the dead raised.
We also empower our members. During women and church anniversaries, we support youths, adults, widows and the less privileged financially.
We have youth programs handled by our youth leader and leadership training that has transformed lives.Our main mission remains turning sinners to saints.
What is your advice to upcoming young ministers and those vying for elective positions?
A large percentage of upcoming young ministers are looking for money and material things. I have advised many but they are deaf. They need to embrace repentance and full salvation.
To those vying for elective positions, let them try more and the Lord will help them. On how the church can achieve oneness and end discrimination – true oneness is not possible without love.
The Bible says love your neighbour as yourself. If we love one another, discrimination will stop.
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