‘Unless there is spiritual revolution before 2015 elections, there will be blood bath’

Rev. Emmanuel Adetunji Adeonigbagbe is the founder and Spiritual Head of Celica Church of Christ (CCC) Ibadan. Adeonigbagbe is not happy with the political trend in the country. He was taken up on many issues, including the conflict and tension in the polity after a special programme of his church. The clergy told OLUSAKIN BABALOLA that most of the leaders in the country are in public offices to feather their own nests, and not to serve the masses. Excerpts: We recall that some years ago, you have a cause to counsel those in power on how the problems of the country could be tackled. But those problems are still there what else are you doing? Most of the advisers through whom our messages were sent to the President did not allow such messages to get to the rightful leaders. It was not during the tenure of this President alone. Even before, we did send to past governments but we did not receive any feedback or action on what we suggested to them. You talked of revolution recently during one of your programmes. Is it the conventional revolution like the French Revolution, Russian Revolutions or…prayer or political manoeuvring? I will refer you back to 1992. We sent a letter to General Ibrahim Babangida (Rtd) that he should not conduct Presidential election in 1993, that if there was election that year, it would not be the best for Nigeria. God gave us a framework sent to me that there should be military and ceremonial President. That they should conduct election after 1996 and that after then, there could be any Presidential election. We did say that there should be Council of Obas – traditional rulers and council of religious leaders, we told them that it should be both Christian and Muslim leaders. But we stressed that they are not just academic ones, except those who were called directly by God because there are three types. But those selected were the academicians who went to study theology. The issue was that the mediator between God and people should be selected. We felt we needed spiritual council that can mediate and we said they should go back and select those called by God. The letter we sent was not acted upon. The mistake he made was that when somebody made a proposal, such a person should be invited but he did not. He would elaborate and tell you the details even without being a partaker of that programme. You would remember during that time, he selected Ernest Shonekan but what was the result? Didn’t any of the leaders accept your counsel? It was only one person and that was Late General Sani Abacha. Though I didn’t like him for anything , God sent me to him thrice and this man responded by getting back to me with gifts which I rejected. What I needed was the growth and peace of the country and not money. I rejected the money because money was not the basis of my work to him. He was the only leader who appreciated God in that respect. Others rejected such leader. Is the incumbent Governor included? Yes, definitely. President Goodluck Jonathan is surrounded by mediocre. We have academic mediocre, political mediocre and even spiritual mediocre. These mediocres cannot tell them the truth. God told me that 1993 election would kill peace in Nigeria. Did it not happen? God told me there was going to be revolution when I started praying for Nigeria, if these people refused to hear his voice. This revolution is not going to be by guns, matchets, bombs as being experienced in Egypt and other places. But you will definitely see it one day when God strikes. What is happening now was seen in January that the big political parties will be divided. There would be crisis in the PDP and the APC. Would there be no resolution? There would be. But if care is not taken, God was telling us that Nigeria would be or not be. What does that connote? The meaning of my revolution is a spiritual one that God would fight for his people because Nigeria leaders have no interest of the governed. Is this realisable with our state of sins? Let me refer you to the city of Sodom and Gomorrah in the Bible. They sinned but God still fought for the nation. Likewise Nigeria, because there are some people that are still devoted and have given their lives to God. I am not talking of Christianity or Islam but people who have devoted their lives to God and God alone. God will not watch these people suffer in the hands of the wicked leaders all over. What is your prediction on 2014 election in Osun and Ekiti states? I am not in politics but at the same time, one should give kudos to those who deserve it. In Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola is trying one way or the other to make the State better, others also tried – Oyinlola was a very good administrator though surrounded by mediocre and liars during his tenure. The way he handled LAUTECH issue was good. Aregbesola is a motivator. You can clearly see his impact. The next year election will be tough – a strange thing will come up because of the two parties – PDP and APC – giant ones. Both would want to win at all costs. This is the area we should watch very well. The ACN, ANPP and CPC leaders who teamed up to take power from PDP are arrogant men and strange bed fellows. They will have problems in due course because their ideas are not the same. Even if they desire to produce Presidents, their interests would clash. The leaders are enemies joining together and at the end of the day, there will be problems. The leaders are arrogant. PDP leaders too are arrogant and power hungry. All of them are arrogant and ambitious to be in government at all costs. Do you support the two-term policy as enshrined in the constitution? The issue of second term by executives has been causing crisis and ripples for public office holders. Appointing them for a second term always makes them turn to something else, using public money to meet their personal needs. Look at Lagos State, where during the first term Governor Raji Fashola did extremely well. But his performance in this second term is very low by my judgment. Look at Governor Segun Mimiko of Ondo State too. He also started well but now, what is he doing? The workers are not being paid as and when due. That is the problem we are facing with second term. In other words, you are against second term for our leaders? I don’t support it for anybody. Let them use a term and go away. Four years is a long time enough to do good work and bring dividends of democracy to the people. It is greed and desire to loot that make them insist on second term. It should be live and let others live. I repeat, four years is enough for anybody to do whatever he wants to do. This is because we don’t have God-fearing people with the love of masses in their minds. In Nigeria, it is not possible for our leaders to do well during their second term. Their fear is that when some other people come in, they may forget the programmes which they started. But in most cases, it is not true. They can select a good candidate. You are yet to talk on the next election in Osun and Ekiti States? Osun and Ekiti people are peace-loving. The people are now wiser and I don’t see anybody sending out thugs to go and attack people because of desire to acquire power at all costs. If anybody wants to send out others for violence, he should be asked where his own children are. Let the youths be civilised to tell leaders where their children are if they wanted to send them death errand. Parents in particular should educate their children to let them know that they cannot gain anything in violence. Nobody compensates those sent out by politicians and killed in the process of fomenting trouble. Our people in Osun and Ekiti have learnt from the bitter lessons of the past, the houses that were burnt and other bad acts were not compensated for. What would you say about insecurity, terrorism, kidnapping and robbery that pervade the clime? Our security agents are corrupt. It is not peculiar to Nigeria alone. This is because they are in a corrupt society. They have failed us like politicians, the academic and even the clerics. Even the traditional leaders as well, and this is why we should go back to our root, God. We ought to have got over this issue of Boko Haram. That is why I agree with Late Chinua Achebe in his book that things have fallen apart and the centre cannot hold. As a cleric, what is your vision and advice on the 2015 general elections? What advice would you give to people who did not like the masses who voted them in and from whom they still expect vote for 2015? These are leaders who use the masses money for rituals to get back to power. Your church is Celica Church of Christ. I know of Celestial Church of Christ. Any nexus? I was born an Anglican. After that, I joined my brother, a member of Cherubim and Seraphim. Later, in my dream, God showed me Celestial. I joined Celestial and was working as a Shepherd when revelation came in 1980 that God wanted to use me in another denomination entirely. I rejected it till 1992 because of my love for Papa Bilewu Oshoffa, the former Spiritual Head of CCC. He, Papa Oshoffa, told me in my dream that I should accept the call. What is unique about your life and ministry? God used me to heal my mother who was on the verge of death. Time may not permit me to elaborate. Even when I was in the Anglican Church, I was seeing visions. When I started in Celestial, Jesus Christ descended and asked Papa Oshoffa about an object kept with him and he said I was the one