From Wole Balogun, Ado-Ekiti
General Overseer of Inri Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Babatunde Ayodele, has described embattled Pastor of Omega Fire Ministries, Pastor Johnson Suleiman, as a good servant of God, no matter what the Department of State Services (DSS) thinks. Speaking with Daily Sun yesterday, in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State capital, he condemned the killing of Christians in Southern Kaduna, tasking the DSS to go after the perpetrators.
Excerpts:
The DSS attempted to arrest Pastor Suleiman for allegedly making inciting statements on the killing of Christians in Southern Kaduna. What is your take as a cleric?
Pastor Suleiman hasn’t said anything wrong. Even Muslim leaders have told their flock to defend themselves against any assailant. What the cleric said was that Christians should defend themselves when attacked. Pastor Suleiman is a fantastic man of God and he is one of us, who I really admire. Pastor Suleiman that I know is a peaceful man of God; so he hasn’t said anything wrong. He is only fighting for Christians in the country. Look at what happened in Southern Kaduna. It is a very serious matter.
Incidentally, these are part of the prophecies we have made as a church and the records are there. We have said that Christians would be persecuted, even by government. God will require the blood of all those Christians killed in Southern Kaduna. The DSS ought to have gone after those killing innocent Christians in that part of the country and stop running after innocent clerics, who are merely defending their flock. DSS’ embarrassment of Suleiman amounts to embarrassing God’s kingdom. It is painful that our leaders in Christendom seem silent about it all.
The government must address the issue of economy and tackle it once and for all. Buhari must urgently change his economic team if he wants positive results. We have said this several times. I also want s to advise the President to allow Nigerians seek God’s face in three days of fasting and prayers so that the Lord can bring the real change we need. There is a need for all Christians and Muslims to pray to God for peace to reign in Nigeria and for our leaders to lead aright because right now, they are not getting it
There are rumours about President Buhari’s health, but the Presidency has denied it. What is your take?
I just concluded over 60 days fasting and prayers. I’m still going back for another 90 days of fasting and prayers. We have been praying for this country, on our now moribund economy, the president’s failing health and others. These two issues call for serious concerns, as they affect us so dearly. When we predicted that the prices of gas, kerosene and petrol would go up, shortly before the present government came on board, some people dismissed us as jokers. But I tell you, petrol will still be increased in this country. This government has not been doing the right thing on economy.
Former President Goodluck Jonathan did Nigeria a great good by convening a Sovereign National Conference, whose recommendations have been thrown into dustbin now. We must revisit that recommendation. Using the recommendation well would have helped Nigeria, but like we predicted even before the confab held that the government would dump its report; that is what has happened now.
Now a bigger referendum will come, either the government wants it or not and God has already assigned somebody else to direct our affairs. It is not yet over for Nigeria.
Already some of your 2017 predictions have been coming to fulfillment. What should expect?
I urge the Federal Government to urgently release Col Dasuki and Nnamdi Kanu; they must do this so that their government would not be destroyed. President Buhari cannot have a second term. God has shown me who would succeed him in 2019, but He has not allowed me to reveal the person.
So many indicating their interest to succeed Buhari now would only end up wasting their time, energy and resources. Those rushing to the ruling party now would also end up getting disappointed, as the party would soon face more serious problem. We will witness so many things in the National Assembly.
What do you think about US President Trump?
Trump’s government will be a two-edged one. He will destroy a lot of things and equally set a lot of things right. With him now in the saddle, America and the world should brace up. We should be prayerful about Israel, Russia, and China. A lot will happen, but God has assured that He would not allow a third world war to break out. He is a very compassionate God.
In celebrating your birthday which uniquely fell on February 14, you usually support the less privilege what do we expect this year?
in celebrating my birthday on February 14, I’m sending 12 people to Jerusalem. We are also paying the school fees of over 40 orphans and children, from the primary to the tertiary institutions. We are also empowering others who need vocational trainings, to make them to be self-reliant.
A renowned Pastor has called on the government to make churches accountable financially to the public what do you say?
I do not support that call. And I wonder how many churches would support it. Why should I declare the church’s accounts to a regulatory body? If there is any money in our accounts that I cannot explain to the church, let them query me. How many churches do you think would support that? Also, on the issue of government regulating when leaders of churches should retire, nobody can tell me when I would retire from my church.