The General Overseer of Christ Worshippers Church, Osubi, Effurun, Warri, Delta State, Prophet Duromola Adedayo Samuel, has always distinguished himself as an outstanding man of God in his attacks on the kingdom of darkness, with his prophetic ministry and precise visions. In this exclusive interview with MICHAEL OLANREWAJU, he bares his mind on the spiritual implications of the recent developments in the country, just as he disclosed plans for the church’s adult harvest.
Sir, what are the plans for the coming adult harvest of your church?
Thank you very much. All hands are on deck to do have a very successful adult harvest in our branches in Nigeria. Various structures like the prayer band, the choir, the pastoral council, elders and deacons, the youths have all been adequately mobilised to make the harvest successful and memorable in the sight of God and man. May God help and bless us.
When is the harvest coming up?
The harvest comes up between September 8, and December 1, 2013 in Ozoro, Akure, Ifon, Otomewho, Warri 1, Benin, Ughelli, Abraka, Ovwian, Bayelsa, and the National Headquarters, Osubi, Effurun, Warri respectively on Sundays within the stated period.
What should Nigerians expect from the harvests?
God will prove Himself as of old. Nigerians, irrespective of denominations or religion should and encounter the God of Worshippers in action as deliverance from the earthly yoke and burden shall be released by the Almighty Jehovah, sickness will disappear and blessings shall be released unto the people.
What’s your reaction to the recently-raging controversy over the release of former Chief Security Officer to the late Gen. Sani Abacha, Major Hamzat Al Mustapha, from prison?
Thank you for this question. I have always said that the ways of God are different from those of men. There is no single leaf that drops from a tree without the knowledge of God. Before Major Al-Mustapha was arrested, incarcerated for that long, and now freed, it was all known to God. This shows that power and even life itself is transient. Who could belief it that he could be incarcerated for that long in the same country where he once held so much power and influence?
However, it must be noted that there are many that were arrested like him but did not spend half of 15 years in prison like him before ailments or death set in. God might have preserved his life for a purpose. Joseph was imprisoned in Egypt by King Pharaoh but God preserved him in order to achieve greatness as he rose to the position of Prime Minister. Who knows the plan of God for Al-Mustapha? A period of 15 years is long enough to draw him closer to his creator – Jehovah, God. God is full of mercies. Even, who knows if Al-Mustapha would have died if he had not been incarcerated?
But many are accusing the founder of the Odua People’s Congress (OPC), Dr. Fredrick Fasehun, of betrayal for identifying with Al-Mustapha. What is your take on this?
It must be borne in mind that the Constitution of Nigeria guarantees freedom of association. One cannot pick an associate for a man of Dr. Fasehun’s calibre and status. Dr. Fasehun has been a victim of detention and torture in the administration of the late Gen. Sani Abacha where Al-Mustapha had been the Chief Security Officer. And in this same country, we see Dr. Fasehun identifying with Al-Mustapha throughout his trials, imprisonment and now freedom. Who knows what transpired between them during the period of Dr. Fasehun’s incarceration that have probably kept him alive till date?
The allegation of betrayal of the mandate given to the late Chief MKO Abiola against Dr. Fasehun requires some caution. This is because late the Chief MKO Abiola’s June 12, 1993 mandate is beyond any ethnic sentiment, and Dr. Fasehun, more than all the people accusing him was an active participant in the political melodrama to re-validate it. He actually got the brunt, but God kept him alive and preserved him to witness this day.
We need to realise that in the spirit of national unity, just as the mandate of the late MKO Abiola was achieved in unison as a national issue, there is also need for national re-atonement, rapprochement and re-alignment. Time, they say, is the healer of all wounds. Above all, the fraternal friendship between Gen. Ibrahim Babangida that annulled the election and the late Chief MKO Abiola remained intact, unbroken. Why does any sympathiser have to cry more than the bereaved? Nigerians should shun ethnic chauvinism and embrace national patriotism to make the country grow.
Apart from APC, another party, PDM – which used to be the name of a major group that metamorphosed to PDP has just been registered by INEC; will this not affect the chances of the incumbent President in 2015 polls?
I don’t want to start repeating myself. God has not shown me any other person on the Nigerian presidential seat of power than President Goodluck Jonathan. More political parties could and would be registered to allow more ambitious politicians have platforms to try their luck by contesting. Are they more eligible than President Jonathan? What of their leadership skills and ability? Is there any new value for the citizenry they have to offer? I am not a politician and I don’t usually want to discuss politics.
The secretary of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), Prof. Ango Abdullahi, has been vociferous in his attack on the President, calling for a power shift to the North come 2015. What do you see to this?
When Alhaji Adamu Ciroma started like that in the build-up to 2011 election, what did he achieve? What became of him today? Ethnic chauvinists cannot dictate the direction to which Nigerians should go. Some people become what they are through sentiment which Nigerians need to put an end. For your information, when Prof. Ango Abdullahi was given the mandate to manage Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, was his tenure not reputed for crisis? If he could not manage a university well without crisis then, and he is today vilifying the President on the country’s management from ethnic perspectives, then, who is fooling who? The genuine, respected Northern elders believe in national unity. They would not contribute in any way to heat up the polity. There are many statesmen in that part of the country. As I have always said, the unity of the corporate entity called Nigeria remains unshaken as it is God’s work, not man.
What is your view about the proposed merger of EFCC and ICPC?
The merger or otherwise is not the solution to the anti graft war. The merger could lead to the downsizing of the workforce in a nation full with huge unemployment of its youths. This could, however, be reduced by redeploying staffers affected to key Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDA) of the Federal Government.
All said and done, what we require in this country is the political will to arrest, prosecute and punish all corrupt practices. The introduction of politics to scuttle trials of corrupt practices is casting doubts on the country’s sincerity, seriousness and ability to punish corruption and makes it serve as deterrent to others. This trend started with the introduction of plea bargaining. To compound it all, corrupt cases especially against political office holders are being prosecuted endlessly.
Even, if these agencies are merged, is it not Nigerian personnel currently managing and running their affairs that would continue to be at the helms of affairs? Or, is Nigeria as a sovereign nation bringing foreigners to manage and run its anti graft agency for her? All these and other pertinent issues must be made on re-orientation and restructuring of the anti graft agency in preparation for genuine anti graft battle. It is an uphill task but with God, nothing is impossible.
Any further comments on the state of the nation
The rate of criminality as it is on the rise should give concern to all patriotic Nigerians. The kidnappers are now on the prowl in a nation where our leaders are struggling hard to attract investors in order to reduce the already saturated rate of unemployment plaguing the nation. The activities of the new ever rising high profile kidnappings and armed robberies are seriously denting the image of the country despite the fact that hundreds of millions are being spent daily on image laundering, branding and re-branding. The case of Barrister Ezekhome’s (SAN) kidnapping, where gunmen killed policemen, readily comes to mind as a bad omen for the country. If it can happen to such a man, what happens to an ordinary man on the street? There is need for stiffer penalty for kidnapping. I would therefore call on the federal and state governments to make kidnapping a capital offence which requires capital punishment by ensuring that culprits caught are killed and not spared to further demean the society. God is moving, and soon, the sponsors of heinous crime of kidnapping would be exposed. Don’t let the patriots be despaired as they continue praying for the corporate existence, growth and development of Nigeria.
Culled from Sunday Newswatch
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