BY FESTUS AHON

As Nigeria battles to stem activities of the dreaded Islamic sect, Boko Haram, Warri based Reverend (Dr) Simeon Okah, Bishop of the Flock of Christ Mission, says the sect’s activities are inadvertently helping to convert more people to Christianity as Nigerians and elsewhere do not like to be associated with violence. He also speaks on insecurity and other issues of national interest. Excerpts:

It is reported that you believe that Boko Haram is working in favour of the expansion of the gospel. Can you throw more light on this?

I know, for the interest of those who understand the power of the gospel and how the gospel itself moves. I know that the gospel itself is a gospel of peace. When there is peace, then we can have more effect in terms of Boko Haram, knowing well it is extremism on the part of Islam. Right now, the youths in Europe are scared of Islam, because you know they are more civilized.

They are also more economically opportune. A religious body where the extremists are always killing human beings without thinking twice; it is difficult to get a younger person into Islam in Europe and I believe that the same thing is already happening here in the Northern part of Nigeria.

A lot of youths who are Muslims are turning to Christ; turning en mass to Christ.  A young person will be looking for a place where you can give him hope; where you can give him job and so on and so forth. That is why I feel that this violence will make Muslims lose. In the time past, they were losing members, not to talk of now when there is all kind of violence and wickedness.

Look at this whole thing about Boko Haram; it is an offshoot of wickedness. How do you kill a fellow human being? Every Nigerian that loves this country should be able to know that Boko Haram does not mean well for this country. Look at the bombing of the United Nation’s building in Abuja.

If not for the way the government handled it, that would have given us a very bad image in the international world. So that is one of the reasons I said if the church continues to preach the word and be kind to fellow human beings, there is no way the Boko Haram issue is not going to give the church more members and increase the number of Christians in the country.

What do you recommend Government should do for churches that were burnt in the North and Christians who were killed since Boko Haram started?

Bishop Okah

The government should think of  how to compensate those who Boko Haram have killed their people. Do you know there was a week I was unable to sleep because of those Boko Haram killed. All Boko Haram killed, government should compensate.

When government does that, it makes them sit up, because this lousy attitude which has made nation building very expensive will not happen again. Bring these people to book. Boko Haram members are not spirits, they are human beings. It took the federal government too long a time to bring these people to book. General Useni (Rtd) made some confession.

The government should rise up to its responsibility to follow that confession that was made by the retired General. Government should see how it can raise the standard of security, because you read everyday in the newspapers that the president is travelling here and there to showcase the image of the country to attract investors; it is good but who wants to invest where there is violence?

Governors from the North should not forget that these boys, according to history, it was they who used them for elections. They set them up, financed them. Let them rise to solve this problem, if not, watch the Northern states, the unemployment is going to rise because nobody want to go where there is no peace. Who will invest money in a place where there is no peace? I also feel that the police in this country; we always talk of the negative part; that they are corrupt. We should agree that the army too is corrupt. Nigerians should be made to realize that army reduced the police to nothing during the military era.

So let the police be equipped. With the little knowledge I have, we have good Nigerian police. Are you aware that most of these police officers you see are graduates? And they sleep on bare floors and these people have wives, children. To me, as much as we have said they are weak, we should also see to how the police will be equipped. For example, in this country, every little thing, they call the soldiers. You only bring in soldiers when the worst is taking place.

The police should be trained. Because they are not trained they don’t know how to handle riots. During riots you see Nigerian police using live ammunition. You can remember about two months ago, it was

that young man that the police in England short that resulted to that violence that shook the government of the country. So, for police, something just happened at Uzere, soldiers came and killed three

Uzere boys which made the rest boys say if it is death, let all of us die. The police should be equipped and given the necessary support. Let us see to it that if we see our policemen, we should respect them. By so doing it will help us.

I want to also add that the judiciary, any country that does not have good police and good judicial system cannot go far. So the judiciary should also be reformed. I am happy that Judges are now better paid compared to the past which is good. But go to some courts today; they are just like juju houses. No fan let alone air-conditioners. The judiciary should be given the needed attention.

Is the church is doing enough to address the issue of Boko Haram, given the loss of lives and property of Christians particularly in the Northern part of the country?

I think the church has been trying but we Nigerians have never taken nationhood as a priority. Europeans built Europe, Chinese built China and Americans built America. Nigerians should try and build Nigeria. When you talk of the church, you are talking of a very large body, because the information we are getting now is that Christianity has out numbered in Islam in terms of population.

We are doing all that we can. You know how painful it is to hear that a pastor who is in the church is killed. They killed one, killed two, some cases 15 were killed. We have been doing the little we can; we contribute money, we also send food. Sometimes ago, we loaded trailers through PFN and through CAN to our affected members in the North.

We have tried, but if the church can wake up to the reality of number one, brotherhood; number two, building of the nation only then I think we can do much better.

How will you rate the population of Christians to Muslims in the country today? Is it in anyway affected by the violence in the North?

Before the violence, the Christian percentage has been higher. Even before the emergence of Boko Haram, the percentage of Christians were over 50 against about 40 percent of Muslims. There is a valid document that stated so, even before the existing of Boko Haram sect. With this Boko Haram, it is obvious that the percentage of Christianity is going to rise to between 60 to 65percent. I think, right now, it is close to 60 percent.

Then another thing that is going to give the growth of the church in the world is the death of Gadhafi. Because Gadhafi, you know when he came into this country, he came like a god. He disregarded all our security arrangements; came with his own security, came with his own vehicles and all that. And not only that, the man boasted that he would spread Islam across Africa. You know, when you are talking of Africa, Nigeria is more than 50 percent. So now that he has fallen, it is also going to affect the population of Islam negatively.

How will you describe the performance of the National Inter-Religious Council, NAREC?

NAREC is even worse than even a political party or political organization. It is now that Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor as CAN President is bringing some sense of morality into NAREC. Otherwise before now, it was just collecting money from the federal government and doing nothing.

But now with Pastor Ayo, we have seen some changes and I wish all members of NAREC to key into the philosophy that Pastor Ayo is trying to introduce. Not only will it help NAREC, not only will it help the Christian and Muslim bodies of the country, it will help a great deal in the building of the country because when the religious leaders live together in peace, respect one another –  like we who are the church leaders in PFN, we don’t force anybody to join Christianity.

Preach your message and I preach my message. Bring your philosophy and I bring my philosophy. But where one religion says that whether you like it or not, it is by force, is bad.

Even God doesn’t force people to worship him. Go and preach, that is why He raised Pastors; that is why He raised Apostles, that is why He raised Prophets that will preach and project the message and then when you are willing, then you serve Him. That is where NAREC has failed.

It failed. It naturally failed politically and failed morally. But thank God for Pastor Ayo. He has served now for about one year. He still has more years. We all should pray for him, because it is not easy. But with God all things are possible.

You will recall that the security challenge facing the country escalated after the 2011 presidential election. Have the churches in Nigeria made any strong recommendations for better elections in the country?

We are all Nigerians. There are very few of us in the church who believe that before you tell people about heaven, they have a life to live. And the person who doesn’t live his life well here will not go to heaven.

We are doing all we can, we are already listing out the flaws, the mistakes then we are also trying to shortlist some politicians who are looking for power but has no ideology. You have heard what I said about the police, some of us, especially myself has put in so much tofight for the police. Then we are also trying to see that the judiciary is reformed.

Because for example now you see that the tribunal for the political cases, this time is quicker than what happened last time. It is better, but it can still be better than this. Then INEC, the church is also trying to see that we give INEC all the needed backing because the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Attahiru Jega, to me has a right heart, but you know one finger cannot get lice from the hair.

So he need that backing. We the churches are trying to do all we can to give him that backing, because a true child of God don’t care whether the person is a Muslim or if a he is serving juju, provided he has the moral character to help to build a nation. Some of us who sit in the church, what we are looking for are people with moral capability to hold these positions.

For example look at the Governor of Lagos State, I support his programmes. I am a Minister of the gospel, he is not a Christian. Oshiomole I was in Benin. I mobilized the major part of the church for the little thing he did when he was in NLC, we knew had something to offer. Now when they maneuvered the election, I came out openly in the pulpit to say Oshiomole should be given the chance to rule, he won.

Then through the work of God the court came in and ruled in his favour. So we are working. And also I want to tell people that this country is changing; though gradually, things are becoming better. We all should put hands together or the church to be able to build a very sound country.

Do you foresee an end to the Boko Haram crisis? How and when? And what is your view on Islamic banking?

The issue of Boko Haram should be addressed once and for all if not it is going to destroy the Islamic religion because no youth want to die. No youth who has food to eat will want to die. Boko Haram activity will affect the religion, it will affect the economy of the North and if care is not taken it can affect this whole country.

On Islamic Banking, sometimes we Nigerians are full of sentiments and that thing has not helped on national issues. We should be bold enough to address issues the way they should be addressed. I am not against people having their own bank, but using the central Bank, using the Federal Government money and government to influence Islamic Banking is evil. If the federal government thinks it is taking the church for granted, taking Nigeria for granted, leave them. If the Christians want to have their own

bank, let them share principle, guide all banking; because you can’t put money in one bank and say it is for this set of religion, so that is my position.

Finally Sir, what is your counsel to Christians in the North presently going through hard times over the crisis?

Number one let them stand firm for their faith. They should not be intimidated let them defend their faith. Number two let them be united; let them co-ordinate information; let the network with facts and

let them be united. Number three, if the federal government remain negligent, they should defend themselves. They should use anything they have to defend themselves. The Bible itself tells us that we should defend ourselves, kill the killer before he kills us. If you have a father who can’t protect you, you better protect yourself. If the state and federal government want to pay lip service to the lives of the people they better defend themselves:  That is my suggestion.