General Overseer of Soul Winning Chapel, Rev. Moses Iloh, is known for his frank and vocal position on critical national issues when he chooses to comment. He displayed such bluntness last week when Assistant Politics Editor, DANIEL KANU, took him on some contentious issues in the land, including the 2016 budget, President Muhammadu Buhari’s tours, and menace of the Fulani herdsmen.
Rating President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration a year after?
So far so difficult. You see, the problem is that they did not know what they were going into. They thought it was just come in and discipline Nigerians. But it is not so. They now found out that the Nigeria they met, the country they had taken over, was literally a dead man. So you have got to resurrect him (Nigeria); you’ve got to put life back in him, before you would begin to command whatever you want to do.
I think the problem is more than the All Progressives Congress (APC) envisaged. Don’t also forget that the APC could be described as a cocktail with a bad taste. What they need are prayers, sincerity of purpose and honesty of outlook. It is what they need, so that the people now will begin to be sympathetic, find out how to help out to achieve what they want to achieve for us because the change is for us, not for them.
Since the change is for us, we are supposed to help them achieve what they want to achieve for us. Unfortunately, every Nigerian is criticising them, everybody is saying they have not done this, they have not done that. But what were we doing years ago? I think Nigerians today have become experts in criticism, but not in proffering solution.
President Buhari’s travels and governance
Look, his tours have changed the image of Nigeria. Money couldn’t have changed it. Newspaper reports can’t change it. His tours have given us a new name. Today we are respected by America and Britain. Countries are beginning to look at us the way we should be. I think we need to thank him for the tours. Don’t forget, he is not a young man, and travelling of this nature will definitely affect his health. So, he is making a rare sacrifice and we are benefitting from his sacrifice. His trips have been blessings to the country.
Budget impasse between the National Assembly and the Executive
My take on it is that the legislators have become a cocktail of evil people. Take the Senate for example. The Senate has become a rendezvous for all corrupt people, when you had done your bad things, you run election and become a senator. That is why I feel so sick when I hear some of them being described as ‘Distinguished Senators’. They are distinguished in confusion because what they are doing now is trying to put the President on the spot. I remember the late Prof. Ransome Kuti. He said when he was in office as a minister, while discussing with civil servants, if he was going to the toilet, he would take the file because by the time he came back from the toilet, the file might disappear. Civil servants are very dangerous people. You cannot steal without them. No matter what you do, you can’t steal without their connivance. They are very dangerous. Buhari is not as cunning as President Olusegun Obasanjo. Obasanjo knew how to deal with them, but Buhari does not know. So he has to be extra careful. I think what is going on now is that they will like to trap the President in and the next thing you will hear is that the President said he is honest but see what he put inside the budget.
They could say he put something in the budget which was not there and they would impeach him. It’s a big trap. So, the more he delays, the better for us. Let him save his name; the budget can wait. Nigerians should begin to tell members of the National Assembly that they should behave well. Let’s have a budget that is transparent. Why should it be something that is mysterious? I think the budget is a trap for Mr. President and the more he delays, he is protecting his integrity. But Nigeria is suffering.
Insolvency in states and FG’s bail-out
Aside the money they get from the states, don’t they need funds? Look at Lagos, it is a state and it can do without the federal government’s money. So, what are the states doing? That is why when the states are complaining, I laugh. Go and see how destructive the states have been. Go to some states and see how they have been destroyed and nobody is saying anything. So I think the states should work so hard to be able to run their own business. Then money from the federal government will augment what they have to solve their problems. The states should work hard. It’s unfortunate, but I do hope that this budget thing will fizzle out soon, so that we will begin to do something.
Buhari’s anti-corruption agenda
Yes, so far, I am satisfied, but I think it is slow. Remember I told you the task is so big. If it was in the military regime, it’s a different thing; much could have been done. But this is a democracy and you know how democracy works.
I think he is a bit slow, and not slow deliberately but because the people he is dealing with are dangerous. Have you forgotten that in his own party are corrupt captains too? So it’s like a game on the tiger’s back; if you come down he eats you up, and if you are at the back you are not safe. So that is the way it is.
Fulani herdsmen and attacks on Nigerian communities
This is not the first time the Fulani are coming out to graze their cows. Why is it different now? There must be some dangers somewhere. They have been grazing their cows for years since we were children. Why is it now that they carry guns? Now, they kill people. So, there must be some politicians behind them. That is why security agents should be smart to find out those behind them. There must be some influence. It is not the Fulani as we are seeing it. This is more than it. And then now that the Igbo people are asking for Biafra, you go there to kill them, then you are trying to start a war. And when they start it, then the people who are sponsoring the Fulani will be happy that they have got what they wanted. I don’t know what the security agents are doing because this is not ordinary Fulani grazing that we are witnessing today.
Economic crises Nigerians are passing through
The economic crises are expected. If you are a Christian, the Bible says what you sow you reap. We sowed corruption and we must reap crises. When we were sowing the bad seed, oil was more than $100 per barrel. Now at harvest time, it is above $30 per barrel. So we must suffer for it. It is harvest time for evil sowed, but I hope that future Nigerians, the youth, must understand that what you sow will be waiting for you and you can’t escape it. It does not call for mathematics or calculation; it’s a plain truth.
Leaving the past and moving forward
Government will move forward, but you must address certain issues. Do you realise that around the government are super, professional corrupt people? Do you realise that? They are in the party, in the government, in the Senate etc. The corrupt people are there and they are clever. One mistake you make, they go back to their business and if you are too careful, you will be very slow. So it’s unfortunate.
Buhari coming in at the wrong time as President
I don’t think so. He came with good intentions. The question we should ask ourselves is, if tomorrow Buhari is not there, who will you put there? It will be another corrupt person and they will go back to stealing as usual. That is the point. So, we need to pray God to keep him alive and for us to assist him.
He came at the right time. If you are talking about change, the way you can change Nigeria is when you, I, him will decide to change. Waiting for Buhari to change you or I is not possible. How can he change you? Let us all help now to bring the change that we need. It is a task before us all.
