From Gyang Bere, Jos
President of Calvary Faith Evangelical Ministries International (CFEM), Prophet David Olorunlake, has said that Nigeria will break up if President Muhammadu Buhari does not stand firm in addressing the current security challenges.
He said that the current attack on police stations will continue and might lead to war if the government does not adhere to public outcry on national dialogue. Excerpt:
You made a prophecy few weeks ago that bandits will move from Benue and resume attack in Plateau, few days after that, there was attack in Plateau which took several lives, how will government stop this insecurity?
The issue of insecurity in Nigeria is a very serious case that requires the government to go into action and address the root cause before it consumes the nation. There was a period I gave a message about attack in Benue State and after which Plateau will be affected with other neighbouring states, it is sad that we are now seeing it. I also said that police stations will be attacked and it is because our securitymen today are handicapped, they have been rendered armless. What they are carrying as weapons cannot even confront the bandits, the Boko Haram and the kidnappers, some of their weapons are no longer effective and the government has to do something about this. We have prayed and we are still praying and we will continue to pray. But I want the whole world to have this understanding, I want Mr. President to have this understanding and I want both Muslims and Christians to have this understanding that prayer alone will not solve the problem of insecurity, prayer alone will not solve the problem of Nigeria, the government must go into action, Mr. President must take the bull by the horn by addressing this issue. What I think in my own opinion is that once security is a problem of a country, that nation has failed because insecurity will affect every aspect of that nation and since we are having the issues of insecurity in this nation, it means the government has failed and we cannot continue this way, therefore, let Mr President take the bull by the horn and address this issue without any sentiment. What is killing Nigeria is sentiment, nepotism, favouritism, tribalism and my opinion is that once you become a president, you just have to keep your sentiment aside and carry everybody along. If Mr. President wants to quench this fire on the mounting, he has what it takes because he seems to be familiar with the people causing the problem. Fulani herdsmen are his ethnic group, the Boko Haram are from the North where he comes from, even banditry started from the North and for him now to fold his hand and keep quiet because it is his own people is not fair because this will continue to set Nigeria ablaze. I want Mr. President to forget about any sentiment and stand on what is right.
Don’t you think if the issue of insecurity is addressed, it will add value in terms of boosting the economy of the Northern states?
This issue of insecurity is affecting the North, it’s affecting the economy of the North. It has brought everything from the North down, you see people trying to leave the North and go to their states, so if Mr President will address this issue, it will boost the economy of the North and make the region a better place for people to live. For someone to live in the North now is like just staying there because he has nowhere to stay because he is living under fear that he can be attacked, he can’t sleep with his two eyes closed. You are in your house, but you are afraid that someone can come and kidnap you. For the government to boost the economy of the North or Nigeria, this issue of insecurity must be addressed.
Recently, the Southern governors came up with a decision to ban open grazing and opted for restructuring, do you see that as the way out of the present security challenges?
Cattle business is an individual business and with the ban on moving with cattle up and down by the governors, I believe that is right and that will bring good development only when Mr. President will embrace it and stand with them. But the president will not accept the ban of open grazing because they are his own people and they are the people causing the current challenges in the country, the president knows it. Some of these people are those involved in kidnapping, I believe that decision is the best for now. On the issues of restructuring, we have been on this matter for long and that is the best way of saving this nation from breaking up and if that is not done, there is no how we can have a way forward in this country, there is no how we can have peace in this country, the issues of killing, stealing and destruction of property will always be there. If Mr. President can look into the issue of restructuring, I believe we will get a better result and we can move ahead as a nation.
There are people who are agitating for the secession of the country, how do you think that can be down-played?
It is because of the attitude of Mr. President and the current APC government, that is why some people are feeling they should be allowed to go and have their nation and if the president refuses to carry out restructuring in the country, I am afraid, Nigeria may break up. Nigeria may break up because if you look at the agitation now, it is gaining ground everyday and more people want to go. If people continue to be attacked and killed, the more they want to go. It is time for Mr. President to stand as a father, not only as president and call all his children together and dialogue with them, he should call the nation together, but if he continues the way he is going, Nigeria may definitely break up.
Don’t you think that Nigeria will gain more from being together than breaking up?
For me, I am not in support of break up because breaking up will bring alot of issues. But if the president can restructure the country, if this man can address the issue of insecurity, if there is a way the president can boost the economy of Nigeria, there will be no point to break up. People are agitating because of marginalization, the Igbo people have been marginalized, the Yoruba people are crying of marginalization, they will prefer to go and stand on their own as a country. But if the issue of marginalization is addressed, and nepotism, tribalism are not longer there, Nigeria will stand very united and people will love to stay together. But if Mr President will not stand on his feet and address these issues, Nigeria will definitely break up.
You prophesied that police stations are going to be attacked, and we are having so many of these attacks in the Southeast, what will the country do to stop this?
This is part of the issues of insecurity and if the government cannot stand up to do something now, we have not seen anything yet. These attacks on police stations will continue to escalate until the right thing is done. My prayer is that God should continue to protect the security men because they are not safe, they are not equipped. The weapons in the hands of bandits are more sophisticated than the weapons in the hands of the police and the police cannot withstand them. So, the issue of burning police station will not stop now and that shows that the government has failed. I am appealing to the president that it is time for him to keep aside his political party and work with competent hands in the country. It is time for him to keep aside tribalism and stand for nationalism so that Nigeria can move forward.
