[size=14pt]I’ll soon ask my members to produce their voter cards in church – Bishop Okonkwo[/size]
By KUNLE ADEYEMI, ADEMOLA ONI, Success Nwogu and ODUTAYO ODUSANYA
Saturday, 13 Nov 2010



Bishop Mike Okonkwo
Dr. Mike Okonkwo is the bishop in charge of The Redeemed Evangelical Ministry Lagos. In this interview with KUNLE ADEYEMI, ADEMOLA ONI, Success Nwogu and ODUTAYO ODUSANYA, he discusses the rot in the nation’s polity and the way forward





Do you really think Nigeria had any reason to celebrate its 50th independence?


I will address this issue from two stand points. In the first place, we have to look at it from the fact that in spite of our differences and diversities, we are still together. It does happen in most nations. The events that have happened in this nation are not as much as the events in other nations, even in the West African sub-region, which resulted in full-blown wars. Somehow, when it seems everything is going to blow up, suddenly, something happens that calms everything down. This can only be God. So, for me and for most Nigerians, we have every reason to be grateful to God for keeping us together. War and violence are not what anyone wants to pray about in this country. We need peace in this country for us to celebrate. In spite of our challenges in the health sector; in the education sector and not having to contend with natural disasters in energy and other areas, we are still together; we still exist. That is something to thank God for. I have every reason to thank God in the human resources that God has endowed this country with. Nigerians are in key fields of human endeavours making global impact.


Think of the spiritual life. Whether people want to admit it or not, the spiritual pendulum that is tilted to Africa, Nigeria is very key to it; even if we are exporting nothing, we are exporting Christianity. If you look at the resources that we are endowed with and whether we have used them to favourably develop this country, I will say we have not. Our infrastructure has not been developed. Corruption has eaten deep into the fabric of our society from top to bottom; no one is exempted. And somehow, nothing is being done. It is even more shocking to note that some of the development we see in the Western world or even around us in Africa, some key players in those countries are Nigerians. Some of the time, you may ask yourself: why can’t we do the same thing here? So, that question keeps begging for an answer. Look at our roads, they are death traps. Look at our airports; as far as I’m concerned, our airports are toilets compared to major airports in the world, even in South Africa. Look at our health care delivery, people are dying of sicknesses that shouldn’t kill them. When you see people dying of little sicknesses here, you will see that we don’t really have value for life. Look at the violence, look at the kidnapping; look at the rate of unemployment. When you see these things, you will know that we are not yet there. We can get there, but the issue is that the structure we have cannot take us there. It will be difficult.


Will you say that the spate of kidnapping in Nigeria and the rise in militancy in the Niger Delta have to do with the inability of our leaders to use our resources very well?


The inability of our leaders has a major part to play because I believe it can be done. I believe that if they can use half of the money that is being given to these lawmakers to develop the states, we will go beyond where we are because you discover that no one is indicted. That’s why these people want to go for a second or third term as the case may be and no one says anything. It may remain so until we have a good judicial system and an electoral tribunal that will call a spade a spade. My solution to this thing is that we should have a legal framework that will ensure that if any officer is found culpable in the area of financial mismanagement, the money should be retrieved from the person and he should be sent to jail. Don’t just take the money and leave the person; take the money and send him to jail. You will realise that no one will want to do this anymore. The issue, however, is: The people, who are supposed to implement this type of law, are they clean? But somehow, we must start somewhere, otherwise we shall continue like this.


Is it that you are not favourably disposed to plea bargaining?


We should not do any plea bargaining; not at this stage of corruption in our nation. The nations that practise such, like in the US, have already gone ahead of us in development. If you bring that method to this country, people will just feel, ‘Okay, I will steal, then we bargain.’ But in areas where corruption has eaten into the fabrics of the society, there should be no plea bargaining. We take drastic measures to deal with the issue of corruption. It has destroyed our nation.


In almost all the states of the federation, there are several workers’ unions on strike. How do you then reconcile the agitation of these workers, some over a minimum salary of N18,000, and the almost N10m take-home pay of the nation’s federal legislators?


It is good for Nigerians.


How?


Because we voted them in. The same set of people who are supposed to go to the state Houses of Assembly and the National Assembly to discuss the interest of the citizens, discuss kidnapping and how to bring it to an end; discuss how do we deal with militancy; how to improve on the road network in the nation; how to improve electricity; how to make life comfortable for the citizens, are not doing anything about these national problems. All we hear is how to improve their remunerations for sitting for a few hours in a day. Most of the time they are on vacation. This same set of people will now come to your village, give you salt, cups of rice, then you vote and sell your conscience.

http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art20101113105659

Its a good idea and I urge other Religious leaders to follow suit.

Yes, instead of asking them to produce their tithe receipt.