Rev Dr. Felix Nwosu is a man of God with passion for Nigeria. A prophet by calling, he presides over the Christ Foundation Sabbath Church, in Ogudu, Lagos. In this chat, this fair complexioned businessman turned preacher aired his view on the current situation in the country.
Dr. Felix Nwosu is angered over recent exposure of top cop Abba Kyari by the U.S Federal Bureau of Investigation which has been investigating the Nigerian fraud kingpin, Hushpuppi. He is of the view that the recent allegation against the Deputy Police Commissioner, is a pointer to the rot in the Nigerian political and security systems, lamenting that people in authorities protect and defend errors in governance.
According to him, the exposure of Abba Kyari is a big dent on Nigeria’s image. This, he said, is made worse by Kyari’s acceptance that he collected money from Hushpuppi to buy clothes.
According to Nwosu: “This is an embarrassment. No wonder Nigeria security is porous and unreliable. It means that Abba Kyari has been protecting corrupt people. It is not only Abba Kyari. There are many of such people in positions of authority. They lead without integrity.”
He maintains that but for the confession of Hushpuppi, Abba Kyari would have continued in his corrupt practices, stressing that the government and security agents has not been able to fight insecurity, banditry, kidnapping in the country because of corruption.
Nwosu asks: “How can the Federal Government fight corruption with people like Abba Kyari holding crucial positions? It is surprising that Kyari and people like him have been protecting corrupt people. There is no way Nigerian government under the current administration and the security agencies can win the battle against insecurity and corruption. People take money to appoint corrupt people into positions. That is what we get. It means that Nigerian security intelligence is being corruptly doctored.”
On the suspension and probe of Kyari by a committee set up by police authorities, Nwosu doubts if something good could come out of such actions. As he puts it: “Already, Kyari has accepted that he collected money from Hushpuppi to purchase traditional clothes and caps. That shows that he is involved.
“All the noise about his probe and suspension by the police authorities will not achieve anything. The Nigerian police were unable to catch him in the first place. So, he should be handed over to the FBI to face full investigation.
“That the Nigeria Police authorities suspended him does not mean that he will not be handed over to the FBI, which established the case. If the government fails to hand over Kyari to the FBI not minding the existing relationship with the Nigeria and U.S governments, the FBI and the Nigerian Police, it means that the Federal Government is not fighting corruption.
“We have seen several corruption cases which could not succeed in Nigeria, but when the same issues were handled abroad they were established. Government officials are sabotaging the legislative and executive visions to curb corruption.”
Another issue that catches the attention of Rev Nwosu is the travails of Sheik Ibrahim El-Zazaki and his wife. A Federal High Court recently discharged and acquitted the Islamic cleric, who is the leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN). The court had ruled that the cleric had no case to answer. Before his acquittal, the Sheik had been in detention for over six years.
However, after the acquittal by a competent court, the Kaduna State government now wants to file a fresh case against El-Zazaki and his wife.
On this development, Rev Nwosu asks: “What did El-Zazaki do? The court said he has no case to answer. If so, why is the Kaduna State government trying him again? He has been in detention for over six years after which the court set him free.
“Which court will they try him? Is it not a Nigerian court? If any court accepts to handle the case again, it means that the Judiciary has been bastardised. It means that the judiciary as an institution has been polluted.
“The original case was supposed to be between the Federal Government in relation with the former Chief of Army Staff. Why is the Kaduna State government taking it personal? What offence has El-Zazaky committed against Governor Nasir El-Rufai and his Kaduna State? This smirks of religious hatred.
“In Nigeria, people have freedom to gather and pursue their religion. Incidentally, both El-Zazaky and El-Rufai are Muslims.”
Nwosu also airs his view on the Federal Government’s handling of the Sunday Igboho’s case in the Republic of Benin. Igboho, it would be recalled, had been agitating for the emergence of a Yoruba Republic. He was recently declared wanted by the Nigerian police and was later arrested in Cotonou, Republic of Benin.
Nwosu says: “The issue is: The issue of Sunday Igboho started as a check against rampaging Fulani herdsmen. From there, it graduated to the call for the establishment of a Yoruba nation. Then he was declared wanted and was arrested in Cotonou, Republic of Benin where he is undergoing trial over Immigration issues.
“How did he cross the Nigerian Border? This is one of the security lapses by the Nigeria security agencies. He is now in the custody of the Republic of Benin undergoing trial. Now, Nigeria is begging for his repatriation. So far, Igboho may have been granted asylum.
“It is bad governance that produced Igboho. The current Federal Government should be blamed for this crisis due to its partial handling of the herdsmen issues. That is why the Nigerian nation should be restructured so that each region will take charge of their resources. People in government are manipulating everything and frustrating the people.”
Nwosu asks: “Who knew Sunday Igboho till recently? I think the government should stop chasing Igboho. He has gone out of the country. What Nigeria needs is for the government to dialogue with the stakeholders to resolve the issues.
“Igboho is not a murderer. They want cattle rearers to operate within the law and not destroying people’s farms and killing and raping women. This administration is pushing people to the wall and there is no way they will not react. Let governance be fairly run. Government policies should make Nigerians have a sense of belonging.”
Apart from the issue of Sunday Igboho, Nwosu is also perturbed about the case of Nnamdi Kanu, the Umuahia, Abia State born leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), who is being incarcerated by Nigeria security.
Nwosu is of the belief that the case of Kanu, the Biafra agitator, is the same thing as the case of Sunday Igboho, the Yoruba nation agitator. According to Nwosu, “These people have the same secessionist agenda. Nnamdi Kanu is not the originator of the Biafra agitation. The agitation existed before Kanu. If the Federal Government succeeds in killing Nnamdi Kanu or jailing him, the agitation will not die. The only way to resolve the issue is through dialogue and good governance.
“To resolve the case of Nnamdi Kanu and the Biafra agitation, the Federal Government should dialogue with the South East stakeholders. Nobody wants another war. But, the government is making the people angry. People are being provoked. The Federal Government is playing the regions against themselves with the bad handling of the agitation. Now, the Northern Elders youth organisations as well as Myetti Allah are now fighting South West and South East leaders of Igboho and Kanu. This will not augur well with the nation.”
On the recent declaration of Mondays as Ghost Days in South East from Monday August 9, 2021, Nwosu explains that that the Eastern Security Network (ESN) and the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) are trying to protest the fate of their leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
The cleric states: “They want the government to do the right thing. It means that the arrest and detention of Nnamdi Kanu does not mean the death of IPOB. Before you know it, they will succeed. People will obey because they do not have respect for the government.
“Even when Kanu was away from the country, IPOB issued orders and people obeyed them. Don’t be surprised that on August 9, they will ground the South East. The government has failed the people. Medical doctors, teachers and lecturers, the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) will say that the government has not been keeping agreements. The current Nigerian government is fraudulent.
“Look at what the Kaduna State government is doing about El-Zazaky. This is another aspect of a failed society as the government does not respect the law. They don’t even respect the courts. The way the Federal Government is pursuing the Nnamdi Kanu issue is not proper. Even the way he was brought back was not right. They do not even allow his lawyers to have access to him as if he was no right. The Federal Government should retrace its steps. Its policies are too harsh.”
Nwosu also takes a hard look at the recently held APC congresses at the ward level across the country, which he said was not well managed. He wonders why the ruling party likes to do everything by consensus, instead of allowing the principle of democracy to prevail.
He believes that through consensus, the ruling party ignores people who are better and choose those who are not good. According to him, “To go for mediocre instead of mediocrity is not good. Godfatherism is not helping matters. The way political parties are personalised in this country is bad. They make people feel marginalised.
“If you allow free participation, everybody will be happy. Party leaders do not run parties freely and fairly. They are trying to be autocratic by not giving the people a free hand. This is what has been causing party crises and defections.
“This is the path the PDP threaded which destroyed it. If this crisis that started at the ward congresses is not resolved, it will lead to crises at the local gover
