The greatest insult to Nigerians is PDP seeking return to power —Archbishop Stephen

Archbishop of Ibadan, Methodist Church Nigeria (MCN), Most Reverend Michael Kehinde Stephen, speaks with TAIWO OLANREWAJU and RITA OKONOBOH on President Muhammadu Buhari’s intention to seek re-election, what Pentecostal churches and the country can learn from the Methodist’s example on transparency, and his experience presiding over Ibadan archdiocese, as he prepares to retire from office.

This is your last synod as archbishop of Ibadan, as you will retire in a few months. How would you describe the experience so far?

It has been a wonderful experience journeying in the church. My beginning in the church, for me, is as exciting as this time. By September 2018, it will be 47 years, since I joined the ministry. There is a great sense of appreciation to God for making it possible. I couldn’t have imagined in 1971 that I would be who I am today. So, it is a feeling of gratitude and peace. What else can I say? In the last 12 years in Ibadan as archbishop, it has been very interesting. I had early challenges coming into the diocese as it related to setting goals for my mission in the diocese, and looking back, it’s been a good journey. There have been significant achievements. Although, we have had shortcomings, as we have had our limitations – that is the reality of change and human life – on the whole, I am very happy that God has given me the grace to have lasted this long in the church to have determined my exit. It’s been a very beautiful journey, and I’ve worked with marvellous people.

 

It is not common for orthodox churches to find themselves embroiled in scandals as it relates to financial misappropriation, unlike their pentecostal counterparts. With your experience, what advice would you give?

It’s good to work around the pursuit of holiness, transparency, accountability. For me, as a person, I made a commitment to come to the ministry to answer the call to serve in whatever area that is open for me to give service to God. I knew from the word ‘go,’ that coming into the mainline church, that I would never be rich in worldly terms. I didn’t even believe that I would own a house. I didn’t even know that I would own a car. I didn’t even pray for those things, because I knew I came into the church to give myself totally to God. So, anything material wasn’t on the table for us, as we didn’t think about it. Those things were not attractions for me. Besides, we’re in the Methodist system, where you must present your accounts quarterly. So, to try and think of people having money in multiples of millions is so frightening. Sometimes, people expect me to have money, and if I don’t, they wonder what kind of church I’m in. I don’t understand it. All the monies that come into the church go back to taking care of society and improving service delivery. When I came into the church, prosperity gospel didn’t exist. However, now, it’s all prosperity. You want to command God to do something; you want to bind and lose and all such things. At most it’s trash; it’s playing God. In fact, I feel so sad because a lot of church leaders today enrich themselves at the expense of the people they’re meant to care for. This is not like the example of Jesus that teaches that he came to the oppressed, to the poor, to make a difference. Now, for leaders to make those people make their (church leaders) lives better, I think it’s sinful.

 

Let’s take the transparency question national. The ‘motto’ of this government has revolved around fighting corruption. Recently, there has been a parade of looters’ lists. From your experience ensuring accountability in the Methodist Church, what advice would you give the present administration?

In 1993, I had the opportunity of giving a keynote address at our conference in Abeokuta and I said if we didn’t do something about corruption, corruption will kill Nigeria and that is what we are experiencing gradually. During this synod, I congratulated the president for having the ‘liver’ to talk about a war on corruption and allowing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to do their work. Those criticising this government, as far as I’m concerned, are wasting their time. Corruption is so endemic. I have said they should beam the searchlight on the civil service and other parastatals. When people begin to say this administration is one-sided, they don’t know what they’re talking about. Face the side you see and deal with it; when the other side gets power, let them also face the other side. I think the greatest insult to Nigerians is the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), when they start to talk about the fact that they want to return to power. The apology means nothing. When Jesus said to Zacchaeus ‘salvation has come,’ Zacchaeus said he would give half of his belongings to the poor. Let the PDP return the loot; they have deprived Nigerians. What I expected to hear was that they wouldn’t seek power for another 10 years for them to show to Nigerians that they are truly repentant. I think the fight against corruption must go on, in the church, anywhere. Let us all know and swallow the shame as a people. Let the searchlight beam everywhere. God intends for us to be better people, that’s why we must strive to pursue peace and holiness, otherwise, there is no future. The fight against corruption is a war that we must win to keep Nigeria.

 

What is your take on President Buhari’s re-election bid?

Sometimes, I would say ‘no comment,’ but I would like to comment. Personally, I don’t feel that he should put himself up. Not because his intention is not genuine – there are great pluses for him. There has been a reengineering of the civil service, the fight against corruption, rebuilding the economy, the way he has managed to hold the country together – because the PDP didn’t know they would lose, so they had planned to decimate the country; the PDP actually decimated the economy. Now, they’re saying they always refer to them. You’ll always refer to evil. If the PDP had done well, every reference to the PDP would have been excellent. If they had done well, why should it be that in less than three years, they’re getting tired of listening to their record? However, I would have thought that with what we experienced when Buhari was ill for many days and there was no disclosure whatsoever, although he looks much better now, I feel since he was treated well in the UK, that should be a pointer to do something in Nigeria, so that people who are sick, can look as well as hem does today. I wouldn’t have encouraged him to want to run, simply on health grounds, not necessarily on account of age, since the Constitution doesn’t prevent him from doing that. If there is pressure on the All Progressives Congress (APC), thinking that his personality can win an election, and he feels he wants to run, so be it. However, our business is that we have our PVCs to do as we please. I would have felt that the APC would field Professor Yemi Osinbajo, since he did well as acting president, but it’s a party decision. I’m not in a position to pontificate on that. The Constitution allows him to run, and we should exercise our rights to vote.

Why did you choose the theme: Strive for Peace and Holiness for this year’s synod?

I think the theme follows a pattern of the way the Methodist Church Nigeria; it happens at the conference level. Principally, the Prelate and a team of other people reflect and the theme is by divine revelation as God has a way of guiding the Prelate and the team. God ministers to the leadership of the church.

 

When you consider insecurity as well as other criminal activities on the increase, how would you say the theme reflects on the nation?

I think the theme couldn’t have come at a better time, considering our context today; everywhere, you have conflict and strife. There are herdsmen attacks, ethnic clashes, insurgency, kidnapping, among others. And it is not only limited to national life as it affects the church as well. So, looking at the scripture and the theme of the synod, there is this encouragement. From where we quoted this text: Hebrews 12:14, there were challenges faced by early Christians at the time. So, the encouragement for believers is to strive for peace and holiness. To strive is not something that is to be taken lightly; it is a struggle, a battle. For us as Methodist people, holiness is a very strong theme, and it is like striving to be like God. It is not just a theme, it’s also to encourage every Nigerian – people of different backgrounds – to strive for those things that will ensure peace as that is the only way we can even have a country. Peace is relational. It’s not just individual peace; one must be in peace with others so that we can have the beautiful country that we pray for.

 

You still have till next year before you reach the official MCN age for retirement. However, you have chosen to retire in a few months. Why are you leaving earlier than expected?

I’ll be 70 on April 8, 2019, but I’m retiring in November 2018. I just feel that leaving early would allow for good arrangement as regards who will succeed the office. I don’t necessarily have to be in office to disengage properly. I just feel that God has been good and if I leave at this time, I’ll still be there to help the church. I think succession should not be difficult. This doesn’t affect international obligations; I have obligations in the African Methodist Council, the World Methodist Council, among others, so these things go on.