Oritsejafor: Those who kill in the name of politics are naive

By Sam Eyoboka & Olayinka Latona

Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) President, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, shares his perspective on the post-election violence in some parts of the country.

How do we relate Easter  to the situation in the country today?

The  reality is that Easter gives hope  when Jesus died and resurrected from the dead. It gives hope, because the early Christians lost hope, saying that there was nothing left for them. But on the third day, he rose and when he rose, hope came alive.

So, Christianity is a religion of hope and that is why we can say today  that there is hope. Yes, many dreams have died in Nigeria, but there is hope that they  will come alive. Many have lost their lives even in the last few days, but now from what we can see, while we commiserate with the families, there is hope that their death is not in vain, because it will cause Nigeria to come alive. It shows that dead bones  can come alive again. Hopeless situations can be revived to become things we should celebrate.

Things that people mourn  can become things that people would celebrate. Nigeria that people looked down upon can become a great nation that people will celebrate. So, it is a time of hope and saying that it is possible. We thank God for it.

Basically, from what we have seen, I believe that politicians should be able to look at the death and resurrection of Christ to understand that politics is never a do-or-die affair. It means if you fail today, you can win tomorrow.

Jesus died and He rose from the dead. So, there is hope for you. Even politicians who could not make it today  can do so the next time. You don’t have to kill or maim people or even set the nation you want  to govern ablaze because you lost an election today. There is hope for another opportunity tomorrow.

You don’t have to make women widows, nor turn children to orphans just to get to a particular political position. You don’t have to shed innocent blood. It is not necessary. The one who loses today  can win tomorrow.

That is exactly what happened in the case of Jesus Christ. I appeal to politicians that they must understand that political office is about service and service is also about sacrifice. Jesus paid the price to serve humanity. So, what price are you going to pay? Where are going to place yourself? Are you a master or a servant? Jesus said, ‘I  didn’t come to be served but to serve’. So, genuine politicians must look at Jesus as a  role model and be able to serve the people and not expecting the people to serve them. I think that is part of Nigeria’s problem today.

Politicians and even civil servants see themselves as masters to the people and not servants to them. Instead of  serving the people, they expect the people to serve them. There are people in positions today, you cannot reach them; but when they want the peoples’  votes, they come to them, but, as soon as they win, they become unreachable. 

 I think that is wrong. Jesus was and still  a man  of the people. There are people in exalted offices today, you cannot call them because you don’t even know their numbers in the first place. At least, there should be a general number, where Nigerians from your constituency can reach you and tender their feelings and complaints.

If you a servant, those you refer to as your masters should be able to reach you  occasionally with their complaints and ask you to do things on their behalf. Jesus should, therefore, be a role model for politicians, even those of us who are religious leaders; because some of us are so detached from the people we preach to.

There is a debate going on now over the continued relevance of the NYSC, considering the ease with which innocent members who are being looked upon by some families to become their bread winners are being killed in different parts of the country.

I have sat down and thought very deeply about the development and my first reaction was; let every graduate serve in his or her home state. But, on a second thought, I feel that the purpose of the scheme would have been defeated if we adopt that escape root. I believe that what has happened and what has being happening in the northern part of the country is not the permanent nature of all Nigerians.

There are those who definitely cannot see beyond their noses  and I pray God to help them to understand the greatness of this country; because you need to know that the greatness of Nigeria is the ability a young Nigerian graduate to travel from Sokoto and come to Warri in Delta State to serve his nation successfully for one year.

The greatness includes  the ability for him to serve and even look for a job here and stay here in peace and earn a living for himself here. The beauty of Nigeria is for someone to leave Akwa Ibom State and go to Maiduguri in Borno  State to serve the nation successfully and be able to u
nderstand other persons and peoples and the cultures  of the people in that part of the country and serve the nation successfully.

Such corps members  may even consider marrying from that part of the nation and build a family there. I think this is the beauty of Nigeria, but what has happened thus far is most unfortunate.

 I send my condolences to the families of all those who have lost their lives and I want to add that they have not lost their lives in vain, because history will remember them for good because they have served their father’s land and paid the ultimate price for her development and unity. That is the way I look at it, believing that it will not be a  setback for NYSC. Instead, it will become something that gives  it new strength.

Having said that, I think the President is right when he vowed to hold state governors accountable for the security of individual corps members  serving in their states.

He is right on target. It is the right thing to do, because somebody has to be responsible. I believe such will help in no small measure to reduce, if not totally, eliminate it. Governors will now make sure that they provide adequate security for members of the NYSC in their domains.

I admit that the police are  still under the Federal Government, but I am sure the governors can, by special arrangement, use all the security apparatus,  including the SSS, the police and others to put a permanent stop to the mindless killing of youth  corps members  in some parts of the country.

They should be able to make sure that the young school leavers who are serving the nation in their respective states are catered for and adequately protected 24 hours of the day  during their service-year.

I think those are precautions that should be taken. I also believe that our security outfits should be adequately funded and well-remunerated to take the arduous task of securing the nation.  The police and other security outfits should be a little more proactive in their quest  of  securing the nation. They are good people; they have tried but I think they should do a little more in the area of surveillance and intelligence gathering to nip in the bud every attempt to destabilise the nation.

Modern-day policing requires that they be properly equipped and remunerated to guard against the temptation of corruption. They should not be waiting for violence to happen before they begin to run  helter-skelter looking for solution. Crisis can be prevented, if given adequate tools to preempt these things and stop them from happening.

Some people see the President’s statement as political, because,  as  you said, the police are under the Federal Government and makes the state governors a little handicapped…

Well,  if that becomes  the case, then the children should be withdrawn. I think the President should gather the governors and present his case before and thereafter extract a commitment from them.  Because, I know that the governors would want the young men and women to serve in their domains  and, therefore, they should be able to make open pledge to the nation as a whole to protect the lives of  these young Nigerians who are serving in their respective states. If they refuse to do so then the young people should be withdrawn, because somebody has to take responsibility for their safety.