Bishop Ighele attributes Nigeria’s insecurity on failing education system -

Nigeria is facing intense insecurity, with kidnappings, banditry, and terrorism affecting communities, particularly schools and churches. The recent abductions of schoolgirls and church members, along with killings and occupation of Christian communities, have sparked outrage.

Many are calling on religious leaders to speak out against these atrocities, with some labeling the situation a genocide.

The situation no doubt has led to widespread school closures, with over 42,000 schools in northern Nigeria lacking perimeter fencing, making them vulnerable to attacks. The insecurity has also contributed to Nigeria having one of the highest numbers of out-of-school children globally.

The General Superintendent of Holy Spirit Mission (a.k.a) Happy Family Centre, Nigeria, Bishop Charles Ighele, in this interview with journalists, condemned the genocidal massacre of Christians. He shares more insight. Excerpt:

It appears we have gone back to the pre-Jonathan era, now as somebody who read political science and a preacher of the word, how do we connect the happenings in the country?

I am sorry to say this but I have been saying this for the past 20 years, the situation will get worse, look at the factories that produce bad water or a water system producing bad water; what do you do? You change the system to produce good water. Nigeria is like a bad factory producing bad odour.

Imagine the statistics that was given the other day, 30 million children registered into primary school in twenty-one states, then six million ended in SS, that means from primary one to six years, 24 million fail out. The country doesn’t seem to care about what happens to the young ones. That is the problem.

What is the consequence of the above scenario?

It will get worse, you don’t need to be a prophet to know this, it will get worse and the rich will not be able to sleep, people can’t go to the village again. We have to rearrange everything. The local government councillor or minister or governor, cannot send his or her child to a public primary school. Education is not only agent of mental development, but also civilization. So, what the schools need is total overhauling, it is a pity our leaders cannot see this, if you deploy two million soldiers, they cannot solve this problem, because the whole places criminals are being churned out by the system, so they will be increasing and they will keep increasing.

Let’s look at a country like Rwanda, that was down, Rwanda is a peaceful country now. They went to the very basics of societal development, so that is what we need right now. What we need right now are people that can think.

Let me digress a bit, this man that spoke the other day, Yerima, he said, ‘I have integrity’. How did that come in? He was making a statement, that was my interpretation. The political class has no integrity, and now let’s go back, the military has no integrity, So, we will chase them away.

I was taken to court during Babangida era, at a court in Ibadan, I played my little role, we ordered them out of office, they lack integrity, and then the civilians came and they lack integrity. So what do we do? So, we need another political class, that is the problem.

Bishop, is there no end in sight, are we going to continue like this?

In some places a Leader by himself can decide to take the lead, take the lead and then see how he can give birth to another group of people. It has happened, a leader can rise up and say this is what is wrong and take the bull by the horn and raise people, people who are apolitical, people that have value in office in Nigeria.

Bishop the issue of genocide, some Christian leaders are living in denial that there is no Christian Genocide, on the other hand, some sections argue that there are groups of people who are bent on Islamising this country, what is your take?

The other day, it was Kwara, this morning, it was a Catholic school in Niger State, look how many towns, how many villages have been removed from existence from Benue, Plateau, is it not genocide occupied by cows? There is clear cut genocide.

Do you think Government has a hand in what is going on?

I am not saying that the government is for genocide. I did not say that and I will never say so, because the president is a Moslem and the wife is a Christian and he has never stopped the wife from going to church. There is clear cut genocide that started even before Jonathan. It is there and different means are being used to make sure that it happens all over the country.

These people are operating under different names, who are they?

There is a clear-cut genocide in the country, no doubt about it at all. There are four groups of rascals that are troubling Nigeria. Number one group is kidnappers, who are everywhere. Number two, bandits, they form a band and arm them, they may be hundred, or more, then ransack villages, towns, kidnap people, then make money from them. Some of these go for only Christian communities, as it is happening in Kaduna. The third one whose brand of Moslem is not pure enough, that is Boko Haram and ISIS, and these ones face both Moslems and Christians, then the fourth group, this is pure genocide, they wipe away communities from there land, look at what happened in Niger State.

What role has Christian bodies like CAN and PFN played in the fight against genocide in the country?

I belong to a shadow body, a pentecostal movement, Fathers in the Land, we are not many. and for the past 15 years I have been part of that, and I know what they have done in this regard, and what we are doing under, I know what they have done underground, I am not talking about CAN, I am not talking about PFN, I am talking about the Fathers of the Land, headed by Pastor Adeboye. I know that the PFN President is also part of this group. I would want CAN to talk more; I thank God for the Benue Bishop who blew this out before the world. I thank God for my friend, Pastor Isa El-Buba from Jos, he is fighting this battle, but I want CAN to come out and speak forcefully on this.