Pastor Tunde Henry-Temile, Senior Pastor of Barnabas Generation, in this interview with Seyi John Salau speaks on Nigeria’s 57th independence celebration and other national issues. He is of the opinion that too much concentration of power and resources at the centre has not allowed for even development of the states. Excerpts:
Today we are celebrating Nigeria’s 57th Independence anniversary. Would you say it is worth celebrating?
An adult at 57 with a toddler’s inclination may have nothing to be cheerful about, especially when he is sane enough to embark on self-examination and peer review. However, he may desire to celebrate the fact that he still has the breath of life, and change, which is the only constant factor in life, may still occur. Thus, he is hopeful. Nigerians, according to a survey, are said to be the happiest people on earth. One wonders the source of such joy. As contradictory as it seems, perhaps it is reflective of our natural disposition to be ‘suffering and smiling’, as enunciated by the late Fela Kuti. It is the Nigerian’s incorrigible optimistic spirit. Interestingly, hope keeps man alive. Though many may, understandably, contend that our 57 years of nationhood is not worth celebrating when viewed from the prism of the plethora of challenges, but I differ. The fact that Nigeria has not gone the way of Sudan is worth celebrating. I have a strong conviction that, someday, Nigeria will get out of the woods and join the reigning nations.
Nigerians, especially the younger generation, have lost hope in the country. How can we rebuild hope and the spirit of patriotism in our youths?
The Daily Trust newspaper of August 28 informed us that between 2010 and 2015, about 10,105,379 candidates applied to different tertiary institutions in Nigeria. But of this number, only 2,674,485 were able to secure admission. The implication is that only a little above 25 percent of candidates had access to higher education. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) fourth quarter unemployment report of 2016, “Unemployment and underemployment continue to be highest for persons aged between 15-34, which represents the youth population.” ThisDay newspaper editorial of February 27, 2017 also noted that half of the idle people in Nigeria are youths between the ages of 15 and 35. Even though the NBS recently informed us of a GDP growth of 0.55 percent in the second quarter of 2017, analysts believe that the growth was due mainly to increase in oil production. Interestingly, oil and gas sector only employs an insignificant number of people. The manufacturing and informal sectors, which employ a larger chunk of the Nigerian youths, witnessed marginal growth, the result is an army of vulnerable unemployed youths.
It is sad and worrisome that the governments at both the federal and state levels are not willing to make the necessary sacrifice in initiating and implementing programmes and policies that will better the lots of the youth. Concomitantly, the Nigerian youths are willing to emigrate in search of greener pastures even to poor neighbouring African countries. Nigerians, especially the youths, are besieging embassies pleading for visas. The others who cannot foot the bills will risk the uncertainty of the desert or brave the horrors of the Mediterranean Sea. Many more at home get engaged as political thugs, hired assassins and involve in sundry anti-social vices to put food on their table. While not making excuses for crime, it is a truism that failure of past and present governments at various levels to make life meaningful for its citizens creates a fertile ground for crime to thrive, especially when ill-gotten wealth is flagrantly flaunted and celebrated.
From the above scenarios, one will understand the dearth of patriotism on the part of the people who wonder if there is any glimmer of hope in a national rebirth. Sadly, the people especially the youth can no longer find role models in the present crop of leadership. Nevertheless, hope can be rebuilt if the people, especially the political class, can “own the Nigerian project”. It is trite to mention that everything rises and falls on leadership. For hope to be rekindled there must be committed leadership that understands and appreciates the rule of law; conscientious, selfless and detribalised leadership with clear sense of direction, who can initiate and implement people-oriented programmes; leadership that encourages excellence, creates and leverages on institutions purposely designed for growth. Such leadership can galvanise the people and build the commitment for patriotism.
The future of the country, no doubt, is the youth. However, they want everything done ‘sharp sharp’. How can the church balance its teachings to appeal to all generations in the church without disrupting doctrinal stand of the church?
The youth is not only the future of the country but also the future of the church as an institution. If there are no humans there won’t be a church on earth. The Bible which is our only unchanging constitution is God-breathed and useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction and for training in righteousness so that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good actions (2 Timothy 16-17 ISV). We can see that the church is a place to teach and sustain good moral values. Endurance, fidelity and self-control are part of the fruits of the spirit mentioned in Galatians 5:22-23. Many youths do not manifest these qualities because of the ‘get-rich-quick syndrome’. The quest for intellectual sophistication, dominance for earthly reasoning and the desire to be ‘progressive’ has led to abandoning of fundamental Biblical truth, though I won’t shy away from the fact that many church leaders has also helped in lowering the standard. Whatever message we preach or teach in churches, if it does not centre around 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, that doctrine is not of Christ. I am an advocate of searching the Scriptures to confirm what you are taught in church.
Recently there have been incessant attacks on the church and the clergy. Ozubulu and the Catholic priest in Imo easily come to mind. Is it not time we rethink security in our places of worship?
The level of insecurity in the world at large is making everyone including organizations more security conscious these days. Terror and pestilence is everywhere. This doesn’t really surprise me. The Ozubulu incident from what we were made to understand exposed the compromising acts of some church spiritual leaders. The murdered Catholic priest in Imo State and the one shot in Lagos were really unfortunate. Security is everybody’s business but the Almighty that neither slumbers nor sleeps keeps us safer. I will advice Men of God to do the Lord’s business strictly with integrity.
The level of insecurity and agitations in the country has given support to the call for true federalism/restructuring. Is it the right time to restructure Nigeria? If yes, what kind of restructuring should we be looking at?
From the South-South to the South-East, from the South-West up the Northern enclaves, discordant tunes have been reverberating. The level of insecurity and agitations in the country underscores the need for a renegotiation of the union of the distinct ethnic nationalities who claim to have been foisted into a contraption ‘without their consent’. Restructuring is presently acquiring multifarious colouration in Nigeria’s political lexicon. Thus, one wonders if we are ‘domesticating’ it or obfuscating its original meaning. Some call it true federalism, others devolution of power, and many more term it fiscal federalism. While others argue for a six-geopolitical-zone structure, some refer to it as secessionist tendencies. However, whatever nomenclature is being adduced, there seems to be a consensus that the conditions of coexistence need to be redefined.
So, where do you stand on this?
It is expedient, more than ever, that the country needs to be “restructured”. The problem seems to be how far we should go in redefining the marriage. While some are advocating for a complete divorce, others are suggesting a loose federation. One thread that runs through the gamut of opinions is that there is too much concentration of power and resources at the centre. The centre needs to devolve more powers to the constituents units, that is, the states. The constituent units should be the focus of attention, where states can develop at their pace and contribute to the centre; the central government can coordinate such functions as defence, foreign affairs, etc. This will engender a competitive spirit among states who will now be compelled to explore both their natural and human resources. Besides, the resources expended on the over-bloated federal bureaucracy will be conserved. Furthermore, structures should be erected in the constituent units to check the appendages and excesses of political office holders to make the offices less lucrative but attractive to visionary and selfless leaders. Unless there is a high level of accountability at the various constituent units, restructuring as a panacea will lose its anticipated benefits. Moreover, there can be a central fund for assisting some states who are less endowed educationally and materially.
