Pastor in charge of New Life Spring of Joy Church, Sanyo, Ibadan, Oyo State, Pastor Olakunle Fadeyibi, in an interaction with OLAIDE SOKOYA, speaks on why President Muhammadu Buhari, should re-contest in 2019, his experiences growing up, among other issues.
Do you think the church in Nigeria has done enough to complement government’s development efforts?
The church is doing quite a lot. However, it can do a lot more. It is not uncommon these days to see churches having subsidiaries. The church has been involved in establishing and rebuilding schools, social justice centres, orphanage homes, benevolence centres, among others. Churches have also established various leadership schools and affordable schools for entrepreneurship. Also, churches have established rehabilitation centres, assisted in the provision of free legal advisory services, free adult education centres, providing employment, among other efforts.
Following calls in recent times on financial responsibility for religious organisations, do you think the church should make its accounts public?
Why not! It is good for the church to be accountable.
As we approach the 2019 general election, do you think President Muhammadu Buhari should seek re-election?
Yes, I strongly support President Muhammad Buhari re-contesting in 2019. We can’t dictate to him; he is old enough to decide what is good himself. If he wishes to go again, I won’t say he should not go. We are looking at his health status, which is unnecessary. But if we look at his capacity, he is capable of handling the situation in Nigeria. Curbing corruption alone is a very good task, which he did excellently, and to which we can all testify to. So, let’s not discourage him. Instead, let us all pray for God to give him strength to move Nigeria forward.
On the coming elections, what is your message to politicians and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)?
I keep telling people to get their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs). That is what it takes. Bad politicians are bad people that good people elect into office by not voting. They say politics is dirty. There is no game that is dirty; it is the players that make it dirty. When the players are honest, the game is clean and once the players know that honest people are playing, then they will change. Getting PVCs is very important. In the next 10 years, 70 per cent of our population will be under 30 years old. Young people have the power in their hands to dictate where this country is going, and the first thing they should do is to get their PVCs.
What was growing up like?
I grew up in a family of pastors. Almost everyone in my family, one way or the other, is a pastor. My mother delivered me right inside the church during service and that very day, my father received his calling fully into the ministry. I attended St. Leo Catholic Primary School before I proceeded to Molete High School, both in Ibadan. I attended a cooperative college for my cooperative course. I also went on to read Mass Communication at Olalomi Amole School. After completing my course, I went into printing, which I am fully into now.
What is your advice to Christians at this time?
My advice to all Christians is to know the God they serve. The God we serve is a great God; He is a God of power, the God of mighty and also the God of love. A lot of us, when we don’t know whom we serve, don’t represent Him well. We call ourselves Christians, which means we are of Christ and when they see us, they should see Christ in us. So, Christians are supposed to be like Christ and they need to see that in us as we move around.
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