Pastor Moses Iloh, fi ery social critic ex-President Nigeria Cycling Federation, ex-National Executive member of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Elder Statesman and General Overseer of Soul Winners Chapel, comments on various issues of national interest, in a chat with Kola Johnson.
How do you appraise the formation of All Progressive Congress do you see the party springing any surprise in 2015?
APC could be the answer to the plague of poor governance, and crucial political issues confronting the nation. But if they want to be the answer, they have to purge themselves of the wrong politics endemic in the Nigerian system.
They owe Nigeria a total repentance and reformational initiatives that hold out fresh hopes for the nation and its populace, particularly the struggling poor masses. They must develop a culture of internal democracy, so that they could bequeath to the nation, real democracy.
This is very necessary because you cannot give to somebody, what you don't have. They must understand that Nigerians are not looking for political parties as an end in itself, but solutions to poverty, hunger, hardship, unemployment, destitution and homelessness, among several others that bedevil them. It must be a party that believes in the rule of law. They must not interfere with the judiciary.
They must come out with clear statements on health matters. APC must create a visibly disciplined police force, and they must be sufficiently transparent to place Nigeria first, before their own private interest; and they must not be hypocritical in the battle against fraud and corruption.
But do you see the party defeating the ruling PDP in 2015?
If APC removes religion, gender, tribe, egoistic sentiment and personal self aggrandizement from their politics, and place the overall interest of the party and nation above self, they will win, and there will be hope for Nigeria. I also wish to propose that they endorse Buhari as their presidential candidate. This is because the greatest ailment which bedevils this nation is corruption, and Buhari has a track record of having dealt ruthlessly with corruption. Moreover, he has held important positions as Minister of Petroleum; he had been a state governor, and Military Head of State. He had the opportunity to amass wealth by reason of the offices he had held in the past, including his stewardship as Chairman Petroleum Trust Fund, yet he refused to be corrupted by the perquisites of office. It is my humble belief that such a person must be given a chance. Let him just tell the people that he wants to spend just one term.
What's wrong if he spends two terms?
He could just tell them that, out of modesty, and by the time Nigerians see his marvelous works, I'm sure they will ask him to go more for a second tenure.
What do you see about the present development in the PDP. Do you see the party getting out of it?
I think what is happening to the PDP is a manifestation that the cry of the poor has eventually risen to God in heaven. Even the Bible has rightly expressed it, when it says that the Lord is not mocked; that whatever a man soweth he reapeth. Fact is that PDP is reaping what it has sown. What is happening is not by mere chance or coincidence, it is retributive justice in action.
How do you see the 2015 elections?
My fear is that if PDP under Jonathan attempts to rig the election in order to foist themselves perpetually on the people, against all rules of democracy, Nigeria will break. The party has created so much problem for this nation. Although I have no physical proof of this, but I have a strong premonition that any attempt by the PDP to perpetuate their hold on power, against the will of the people, will only facilitate the disintegration of the nation's corporate existence. I have a strong burden of that feeling in my spirit.
What is your assessment of CAN in the midst of politics?
My stand on this is that when it gets to politics Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor is inexperienced and not sufficiently knowledgeable of the intrigues and devilment of Nigerian politics, which borders on the compulsion to kill, destroy, corrupt, steal and grab. A Christian shouldn't stick his neck into that scenario. What CAN has done through Oritsejafor, is to join them because it could not beat them. My humble opinion this in regard, is that CAN under Oritsejafor is gradually loosing its credibility, by condescending so low to the petty whims and manipulations of the powers that be.
How would you describe the case with the embattled Minister of Aviation ?
A dangerous coincidence indeed Fallacious to say the least. Looking at the lady's issue, one would agree that though a crime is a crime, but if you situate it in the Nigerian context, the Lady's issue sounds like a pickpocket, compared with the magnitude of corruption in high places. Imagine for instance, a country in which you spend a whopping 500 million naira for mere birthday party; where billions are corruptly carted into private coffers, to the knowledge of the public, yet there wasn't much hues and crys. Personally, I don't like what she did, because what is bad is bad. But in actual fact, its like some people don't like her. Unfortunately, she played into their hands and they gave her a terrible bashing of her life.
Sir, please tell us about the Eclectic movement. Does it still exist?
Yes, the eclectic network still exist, but in the mean time, we are still observing and analyzing the socio-political trend, before deciding what to do. We are taking it easy; because the kind of politics in Nigeria today, is if you can't beat them, join them. In this respect, we differ. We are therefore proposing a new approach. That approach is to suggest to organizations like us, to put together a rescue team and send that team into the 2015 election. Fact is that the terrain as it is now, is so dirty. We cannot change them, and we cannot join them.
What is your view about the proposed National Conference?
For me personally, I believe in the conference, but the motive of the presidency remains questionable. I have the suspicion that the PDP are out to use the conference for ulterior motive. I have the strong feeling within me, that if the PDP, analyse the trend of things, and sense that they will no longer be able to hold onto power, they will use the conference as a fertile ground to call for succession. The conference if not well handled, could snowball into terrible consequences for future corporate existence of the nation.