The challenges of Nigeria are piled on Lagos,

Ibekimi Oriamaja Reports

Bishop Charles Ighele, who serves as the Presiding Bishop of Holy Spirit Mission (also known as Happy Family Centre), recently spoke with Adeola Ogunlade about the state of Nigeria, the ongoing Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike, Christians’ participation in the 2023 elections, and the necessity of unity in the country.

Are you satisfied with Nigeria’s current situation given the way things are going?

Nigeria’s current situation is not encouraging. Nigeria satisfies every requirement for a failing state. See how secure it is. According to many statistics, Nigeria is one of the worst places on world to live, but we can change the situation with effective and receptive leadership. Now consider the state of our economy. In the 1980s, I paid N7,200 for a brand-new Mercedes-Benz from the Renault dealership. When the price increased to $24,000, people started to cry because a round-trip ticket to the US only cost $1000. Just like the Dutch Mark did after World War One, the Naira has entirely lost all of its value today. Therefore, there isn’t much to write home about in terms of economic development. The cost of food is also unremarkable, and many people are starving to death. As a pastor, I am aware of the struggles we face. While many of our resources are dedicated to helping the poor, more must be done immediately and urgently to lift more Nigerians out of poverty.

Over 33% of the population is unemployed. I’m stating that the infrastructure is in a completely failing state; identify it. Yes, there are areas of what you might call development, but what exactly development is, and what I’m referring to is this current federal government, may have one or two brilliant examples from one or more state administrations. I have previously stated that I will hold a party on the day this president cedes power, regardless of who wins. I’ve stated that before. I’ll host a celebration because it is that serious. Many governors have been in problems because of this government, but they are unable to speak since doing so makes you an enemy. I am aware that many of his party’s governors are opposed to what he is doing in some way, but they are unable to express this out of respect for political harmony and to protect their own interests. Nevertheless, they feel this way deep down. I assure you that every governor and every minister in this country today are capable of leading this nation more effectively than Buhari. If he doesn’t wake up during this remaining time for him, we are in larger peril.

What actions should be taken by the government to settle its dispute with ASUU?

I was supposed to design a placard and T-shirt to wear on the street with my wife to support the ASUU strike, but something happened that I couldn’t. demolished primary school Everyone who makes even N50,000 per month won’t claim, “My child attends a public primary school; secondary education has been ruined.”

In some Nigerian institutions, there are 500 students per toilet. As a result of the teachers’ poor English skills, parents are moving their kids out of public primary schools and into private ones. The secondary school system is also in ruins, and parents are unable to send their kids to private universities. Therefore, ASUU is fighting for the entire educational system so that our kids can graduate from the University of Lagos or University of Ife and then go to the US or UK to choose a job, but they can’t do that right now because many of them aren’t competent. I’ve known people who went through us and then went to another country to study who couldn’t connect, so they now have to sit down again to complete tasks. Therefore, the entire educational system is a catastrophic failure.

The ASUU strike should now be supported by every rational Nigerian. After the president declared “enough is enough,” nothing happened. I am now telling him, “President, enough is enough.”

In addition, Adam Smith is regarded as the father of capitalism and is frequently associated with capitalism; yet, he has authored books on morality and the morale of the story. Why are some countries wealthy than others, he wondered when he authored The Wealth of Nations? Then he added these four items: capital, a businessperson, land, and labor. The labor force is created by the educational system; have a look at what the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) stated a few years ago regarding the time it takes to retrain graduates from Nigeria.

Let’s examine the actions of Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the governor of Lagos State.

You may have heard me remark that any governor might perform better than Buhari, but the issues in Lagos are enormous. It is rumored to be among the worst places in the world to live in, but I won’t use that to judge how well the governor of Lagos State is doing right now. I believe that Lagos State has produced the most intelligent group of governors. As were Fashola, Ambode, and now Sanwo-Olu when Tinubu arrived. I pay attention to him, and he speaks wisely. You see, Lagos is where all of Nigeria’s issues are concentrated, so it will be very difficult for these brilliant individuals to perform and restore order. All of the impoverished people from my area, your area, and the north are moving here, and they all wear pants and appear to be well-educated.

It is now making the issue worse, making it difficult to plan for and clean up Lagos. As a man of God, I like to be fair, so when people criticize the governor of Lagos State, I try not to call anyone who doesn’t merit the word bad. Therefore, this is how I perceive it. Lagos is like the American New York; everyone visits every year, and all the issues are brought there. One of the governors—Fashola, I believe—talked about developing a “night economy,” in which individuals continue to purchase and trade even after everyone else has gone to bed. However, given the current state of insecurity in the nation, particularly Lagos, it is not possible.

Your opinion regarding the APC’s Moslem/Moslem ticket (APC).

Bola Ahmed Tinubu succeeded Colonel Buba Marwa as governor of Lagos State, and at the time, I was still in Benin before moving to Lagos. Marwa was quite charismatic and well-liked, and I don’t believe that I or some of my coworkers have anything against him. As for myself, I have nothing against him. When Tinubu assumed office as governor of Lagos State, there were some complaints that he was not performing well for the first year. He has since made changes, and I warned people to watch out for him from my pulpit in Benin City because he is a strategist. I had the idea that he was a planner who would go far in life. I observe him doing all of these. I’m not shocked at all. I predicted to my church at the time that he would go somewhere by observing his efforts to put Lagos through a process of development, which I find appealing.

Therefore, it is not Asiwaju Bola Tinubu who is the issue; rather, it is this, and it is this that truly disturbs me. When it returns to the North, another eight years, they will give it to another northerner, another Moslem/Moslem will undoubtedly have it, and it is quite oppressive. However, if he wins as president and serves for two terms of eight years, that means on a Moslem/Moslem ticket. My wife and I queued up to vote for MKO Abiola because we were enthused about him, and that is why I immediately expressed to you my worry. It is oppressive. Is it true that there are no competent Christians in office now that Buhari has been in office for eight years? If Tinubu wins, that makes it sixteen years, and if the election swings back to the North, eight more years equals twenty-four, haba! My main problem is that it is oppressive.