By Henry Umahi
DR Success Ibeakanma has decried the conundrum of capricious politics in Nigeria, urging stakeholders to embrace dialogue as a panacea to the country’s challenges. He also condemned the deification of sycophancy and insisted that leaders should be told the truth all the time so that they can get their acts together in the interest of the masses.
In this chat, Ibeakanma, who is the General Overseer, Royal Choice Ministries (RCM), Ketu, Lagos, also urged Buhari to treat Nigerians equally.
How would you assess Nigeria’s democracy after 17 years?
I would say that we have made progress, considering how we began and where we are today. However, we are not yet there; we are yet to match up with some advanced democracies like the USA. A lot of things are drawing us back like corruption, exploitation of our resources, ethnic jingoism and bad leadership among others. I will conclude by saying that I’m optimistic that in the next couple of years, we will be there.
The Buhari administration has been in office for over one year, how would you rate its performance?
I will say that for a man who wanted to rule Nigeria since 2003, expectations were so high when he won the presidential election last year. The campaign promises of the APC and the change mantra got the people enchanted, so to say. Now, people are complaining because the high expectations they had are not being met in every material particular. No matter what he does now, some people are already losing faith in the administration. No doubt, he has what it takes to rule Nigeria and he doesn’t need to start from the top, he needs to start from the bottom. I think the government is gradually taking shape in terms of meeting the yearnings of the people. People are not seeing this, the ordinary man on the street will not understand that something is happening, because they want immediate change. And it doesn’t come that way. I can say that he is trying; he is making progress though it might not be at the expected pace. He needs our prayers.
How would you rate the war against corruption considering that there is the belief in some quarters that it is a mere witch-hunt of the opposition?
There is the tendency for someone to think that the corruption war is targeted at PDP members. I am not a politician; I don’t belong to any political party, so my opinion on this is dictated by what I see going on. From what we are seeing, if they say the war is against PDP, I can say that they are right. But PDP was the party in power, so naturally the war should start with them. But the challenge I’m seeing is that some people in PDP crossed over to the APC in the twilight of the past administration. So, those people that crossed over from the PDP to the APC should also be put to scrutiny. I believe that it is a process and we will get there. Corruption will always fight back and there is nothing you do that people will not talk. It is clear to me that the president is not corrupt. It is not easy to clear everything at the same time. I want him to balance the war, let it not appear to be an orchestrated war against the PDP and/ or its members. But one thing is certain, it is not going to be business as usual again.
At the beginning of the year, you prophesied on the pages of newspapers that a group deadlier than Boko Haram would surface. Is the Niger Delta Avengers the group you were referring to?
It was very clear when I released my prophecy. One thing about prophecies is that if God gives you a message, you release it. It is no longer your duty if it comes to pass or not as long as you were not speaking your own words. If you read the Book of Jonah, you will see how a prophecy can be handled. You cannot question God’s decisions. Everybody knows the experience of Jonah. God can change His mind as in the case of the people of Nineveh. Jonah’s grouse was that God did not tell him when He changed the message. God does not work that way; He doesn’t need anybody’s permission to do anything or to reverse a situation.
God told me that a group deadlier than Boko Haram would arise from the Niger Delta. And they will parade more sophisticated weapons than Boko Haram. It will be very difficult to stop them. The way to stop them is through prayer and dialogue. You know, there are different groups joining in. These are manifestations and confirmation of the prophecy.
How would you feel if your prophecy fails?
If I give a prophecy and the prophecy does not come to pass like that, it doesn’t bother me because it is not my prophecy. Everybody knows Dr Success Ibeakanma is a prophet. I don’t need anybody’s confirmation. There is no prophet in this nation that is of God who had prophesied and all of them came to pass. But if your prophecy comes to pass up to 70 per cent of the time you are a major prophet, because some people will go and pray for it to be cancelled. And God Himself will also hear the prayer of some people and cancel some. If at the end of the day you still have up to 70 per cent, you are a major prophet. We have major and minor prophets. I think I’m a major prophet and because of the prophecies I gave during the last elections, they started saying I was supporting a certain party but I’m not a politician. I only say what God asks me to say.
What’s your take on the state of the nation generally?
But for the intervention of God, we would have been finished. In fact, Nigeria needs God now more than ever. Nigerians should not panic over the current socio-economic and security problems because they will soon be over. When I was praying, God made it clear to me that all these things will be over very soon. Instead of accusing one another, we should come together and move our beloved country forward. There are so many people under President Buhari whose hands are not clean as they pretend but because they are under the umbrella of the APC, they are vilifying other people. So, let’s help our president to make this country better. Let the stakeholders come together and dialogue. What we need now is dialogue. The Federal Government should dialogue with Niger Delta leaders. But we should not let restructuring divide this country. I’m against balkanization of the country. The reason Nigerians are complaining is because they want the country to be better but it’s a process. We are coming out of all these things. The economy has been down and it is affecting all of us but we are getting out of it very soon. Prayer is the solution. I know that we are going to have testimony very soon. People that are praying for the nation should not be tired. I will never be tired; I’m not a politician. I only do what God asks me to do and I know this country will testify very soon.
How would you react to the way the Federal Government is handling IPOB?
I am not against anybody fighting for anything. I’m fighting to make heaven. Everybody is fighting to be free of one encumbrance or another. But sometimes we may not be 100 per cent right the way we go about it and the way they handle the issue may not be ideal. The solution to these agitations is dialogue. The Federal Government should not be so harsh on them. I do not support the idea of killing people protesting, like labour unions and other groups. I’m not in support of killing workers who are on strike or IPOB agitating for a nation of their own. Dialogue is the solution. With dialogue, we’ll get there.
What’s the way out of the herdsmen menace?
I am not happy with what is happening in the country. The Fulani herdsmen own this country with us and they are providing protein for the country. They take the cattle about for grazing and they turn out big and healthy for consumption. If we do not have them, how do we get healthy cows to buy? But where I have problem is seeing herdsmen going about with AK47 rifle and other sophisticated weapons that Nigerian soldiers do not have. I also believe they need to have something to protect themselves as they go from one bush to another. But I don’t understand why they are carrying sophisticated weapons about, shooting at the slightest provocation. The question is are they really Fulani herdsmen or Boko Haram? The Federal Government should stand against them as it is standing against IPOB and NDA. I’m not saying that anybody should be killed but the excesses of the herdsmen should be checked. Government should send soldiers to protect the communities under threat. Everybody should be treated equally. When they do that, everybody will know that we are one. I am a Nigerian and I know we are one. But does everybody believe what I believe? That’s the question. So, the president should make sure that he treats everybody equally.
Do you think the Church is playing its role well in the country considering the level of uncertainty?
I believe that most of the churches are doing what they are supposed to do. You cannot fault the entire church because a few of them make mistakes. People are complaining that there are churches everywhere yet corruption is everywhere. There are beer parlours everywhere and nobody is complaining. If there’s crime wave even when there are many churches, you can imagine what the situation would have been without churches. There are many churches and men of God standing in the gap for the nation and its leaders. I know that I’m standing in the gap and I know I have fathers that are standing in the gap. The fact that a few churches are not focused does not mean that we should write off everybody. There are wonderful people and churches doing the will of God and saving souls from perishing in this country.
Prophet Elijah told his servant that ‘those that are with us are more than those against us.’ The truth is that there are churches doing what they are supposed to do. I urge those who deviated along the line to come back and join hands with the ones doing the real thing so that this country will be better. That’s why God placed us here. I saw President Buhari with Anglican bishops, which means that he also believes that these people have something they will do to bring this country where it is supposed to be. So, we need to join our hands and support government. I believe that churches are doing something and we must work together to take the country to the level it should be.
What’s your advice to Nigerians at this point in time?
This is the time for us to come together and reinvent the country. Considering the human and material resources God deposited within this geographical entity, we deserve a better deal. So, we should embrace peace, love one another and do all our transactions with the fear of God. If God opens your spiritual eyes, you will marvel at what God is doing in our nation. The people the president has surrounded himself with should be able to advise him appropriately. Nigerians should be patient because we are coming out of the economic woods. We should not be in a hurry to see the change. Nigeria is changing.