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If other countries experience one tenth of the problems Nigerians have been facing, those countries would explode, because citizens would set them on fire. But why is Nigeria not on fire? It is the church that sustains this country. Else this country would have been on fire. If you travel around the world, you would be angry that you are from this country.
By Henry Uche
Reverend Ehis Edoror is the District Superintendent of Lagos West, Diocese of Assemblies of God Church, which held the opening ceremony of the headquarters building of the district.
After the event, he sat down with Sunday Sun, and spoke on certain critical issues relevant to the church and Nigeria at large.
What does the edifice represent for you?
This edifice means so many things to me. Two years ago we had no place of our own. We needed to rent a place at Gowon Estate. You know that it is essential to own the property, where you operate from. Being in rented property, especially in Lagos, where some landlords are very wicked. Three months after packing into the house, the landlord informed us that the house was up for sale. It was even a half plot of land which was not even enough to carry our District. But I asked the landlord, if you knew the house was up for sale, why did you rent it out, just three months ago? The rent was over N7 million for a year. I wasn’t happy about that. I felt it was a deception. But then I asked God in His infinite mercy, to give us a place of our own. And God who is always faithful gave us this place, barely over a year after we were inaugurated as a district. It’s a fulfillment of God’s promise. God gave me the scripture in Numbers 10:33: “The Ark of the Covenant of The LORD went before them (Israel) to search out a resting place for them.” So, I have always told God right from the time I started ministry, that it is the Ark of The Covenant that searches for where His children will be, not otherwise. Then we got a property 30 percent less than the main price. Even this place is 20 percent less than what it was even at the time we bought it.
What was the total cost, and how was the fund raised?
For now we can’t disclose it but by next year during our General Council Meeting, we shall make it known. Regarding how we raised the money, we didn’t borrow a kobo. God used men and brethren to do His work. Freewill offering donations etc. for now it’s over N200 Million.
In face of the hardship and unemployment in the country, it has been strongly suggested that the church should support and invest in the establishment of small enterprises that can generate income and create jobs, instead of erecting big church buildings. What is your reaction to this?
First, when you build the soul, you build the body. Nigerians are missing it by saying while there is hunger in the land, people are building churches. If we must face the hard truth, it’s the churches in the country that sustain Nigeria, physically. Go around the world, if other countries experience one tenth of the problems Nigerians have been facing, those countries would explode, because citizens would set them on fire. But why is Nigeria not on fire? It is the church that sustains this country. Else this country would have been on fire. If you travel around the world, you would be angry that you are from this country. The reason Nigeria is not in flames is because of the saints that are keeping the country. Unfortunately, people don’t see what the church does. Because what we do is spiritual which controls the physical. Besides, when the church does anything, the media does not carry the reports. But when there is a fault in the church, it will go viral. Two weeks ago, the Assemblies of God visited all the IDP camps in Benue State and spent about N200 million in association with our Hope Givers of AG America. The media didn’t carry it. So, if we could spend over N200 million on IDP camps, what is the basis for condemning a church building a structure where the spiritual work is being done? You can see the problem we have in Nigeria. Now, in the coming week, Assemblies of God Church would do some humanitarian work in Anambra, Akwa Ibom and Rivers state, and it would cost tens of millions. The target beneficiaries are the widows and underprivileged, among others.
A school of thought has posited that it would have been better for the church to help prevent what caused the problem instead of offering succour to the victims of bad governance? What is your view?
Remember that several clerics protested against President Goodluck Jonathan, but today, the same big pastors are taciturn?
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It’s part of the endtime church. This is among the signs of the last days. When we really look at the church, what do we mean by the church? The problem we have today is that the present spiritual leaders are the flamboyant ones, who are actually into business, not the church ministry. Take Assemblies of God for instance. Why do people not hear about Assemblies of God? We are one of the biggest Pentecostal churches in the whole world, and in this country, in terms of numerical strength, I don’t know the statistical attendance of the Redeemed Christian Church of Good, but after RCCG there is no church in Nigeria that is bigger than Assemblies of God. Now an average Nigerian doesn’t know about Assemblies of God deeply. The reason is because the church is supposed to build the souls first. During the tenure of President Goodluck Jonathan, Assemblies of God was the only church that remained in the rural areas like in Zamfara where Boko Haram held sway. Because we spent multimillions of naira to enter the remotest areas of this country to preach the gospel. When we break into such places with the gospel, people will come and build one big structure that looks like a business centre where they make money. These are the ones that are known and heard. So who are those who protested against President Goodluck Jonathan but cannot protest today? They are the ones that protested because of their stomach. If you go to the scriptures, it’s written there, that in the latter days, men will speak after their own stomach. So, that is what we are seeing. We are not surprised because it’s part of the latter days and if these things are not done, the scriptures will not be fulfilled.
Many Nigerians feel disappointed by the lackadaisical attitude of clerics towards the government. Are you not disturbed by this?
It’s part of the latter days. The Bible says this is a manifestation of the latter days – the love of many shall wax cold. Iniquity shall increase. And of course the first shall be the last. Here is one scripture that frightens me: “Except there be falling away first, the Son of man will not appear.” This means that it is bound to happen – even those who are already there and have confessed Jesus Christ will be offended. Jesus said, “Many will be offended in me.” What you are seeing happening now is the complete fulfillment of the prophecy and if these things are not happening like this, then the Word of God is not true. These people blame the men of God, because they are the ones they see, and they make the people offended. But the real church is not in the media. The real church is in the streets where the sinners are. In our District, for instance, there are widows on our monthly payroll. Nigerians are not lazy; with just N50,000, many young Nigerians can turn in thousands of Naira within a few months. We have witnessed it here, it’s just that the government doesn’t want to help the people.
With talk about 2027 getting louder by the day, many Nigerians have become apathetic and no longer praying for the country. What are your thoughts on this?
The Bible says we should pray, but not only prayer: we should “Watch and Pray”. Everyone is involved. The word “watch” is an ‘action’ we must take. In the 2023 general elections, I made sure that every adult above 18 years had their PVCs and 80-90 percent of that church participated in the election. Because we can’t continue to cry wolf. Again, that word, “watch” means work – do what you are supposed to do at all times. So we should mobilize our members to partake in governance processes. Of course we must support our members to seek elective positions because when the righteous is on the throne, the people rejoice. Already some of our members are in government. I believe they are not just there, they have a name and a testimony to protect. So I urge all pastors and other clergymen not to sit back and pray, let us empower and mobilize our members, though some may disappoint us. But please note, by ‘members’ I meant Christians across the board who fear the Lord.
But some churches declare fast and pray for Nigeria…
The person who is fasting and praying to God, to deliver Nigeria from the hands of Satan, does he participate in the electoral process? Where are the prophets of wrath as we had them in the Scriptures?,The people we have up there are people who are after their stomach. I have said it. Without mentioning names, there was a “big pastor” who was close to President Jonathan, but he went from behind to Buhari and did what he did. Is that not a disappointment to Christianity? Sadly, Nigerians rate clergymen by the big cathedral they build. Assemblies of God has close to five million members in Nigeria but you will see our General Superintendent walk about, simple. Because he is not flamboyant. But a person with 300 members will talk and say he has spoken, that person talking is looking for money. That is why he is the one talking. And the next thing the government will just call him, and say ‘Okay we hear you, take this one’ then he comes around and begins to praise the same government. That is why to me, I don’t believe in the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and don’t believe in Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, because all the leaders of these groups use it to make money. PFN was started by Assemblies of God. Late Rev. Umah Ukpai was a member of PFN, that is why Assemblies of God handled his burial, though PFN came to hijack it. He wrote in his Will that PFN could do any other thing except his funeral. He was our member. PFN started with the “Greater Lagos for Christ Crusade in 1985. That was why all the first PFN’s presidents in all the zones in Nigeria were all members of Assemblies of God. You have the likes of Okaka who was the chairman in Edo State. But how did we come out? By the time these hawks came in, they went to the government and got this and that. Assemblies of God felt this was not our vision and not what we were taught. Gradually, gradually they hijacked it, they hijacked CAN. See, when Archbishop Benson Idahosa was alive, would the government be like this today? Idahosa wouldn’t be sitting as PFN president and this nonsense would be going on. Today, they are there to make money. They can’t even release a statement against issues affecting the masses.
Looking at the state of the economy, power supply and insecurity, does President Tinubu deserve a second term?
In a saner country, President Tinubu would have been impeached by now. They don’t have human sympathy. Government is for the welfare of the people. What has he done? Security-wise he has scored zero and zero on econom. Have you ever seen a country like this where governors elected on by different parties are decamping to one party. He is presiding over the most corrupt administration Nigeria has ever seen. If anyone talks, the person is arrested and charged with committing cybercrimes. But they forget that one day we shall answer before the Judge of the whole earth. He is the president of Nigeria, but there is a Judge who is bigger than the president of Nigeria.
What do you think of the proposed Peter Obi/Rabiu Kwankwaso ticket?
Peter Obi is not like others. He has some level of human sympathy. He is in touch with the people at the grassroots. I voted for him during the last election, and I will vote for him again if he is on the ballot. So, Obi/Kwakwanso ticket is good for Nigeria.
What is your advice to young Nigerians?
Don’t lose hope. Be focused. A president will come that would make Nigeria better. What we have is bad leadership. Look at Abia State. It was written off for years due to bad leadership, but today, a man has risen to deliver very good governance. Those coming to challenge Governor Otti would receive stones from the people. If we have seen it happen somewhere, it can happen here. What we need is one leader who comes up with a burden to help this country in sincerity. Nigeria is the most blessed people in the whole world. I was in Mauritius. I wept when I saw the kind of jobs Nigerians do there like washing of toilets, security work, in a country that has nothing compared to Nigeria – due to bad leadership here. We need a leader with empathy to change Nigeria. That is why I don’t want to lose hope. There are clean Muslims who fear the Lord, and there are dubious, evil, cassock-wearing priests. Look at a governor whom people believe to be a “man of God” in one of the states. So, God can use anybody to change Nigeria for the better.
