Sunday Trust

Your Grace, many desire to build churches but the fear is that one day development authorities will come to say this building is not supposed to be. What has your experience? The basic thing to remember is we build churches as place of worship for a community of faithful people. Therefore, when demolition affects the […]

Your Grace, many desire to build churches but the fear is that one day development authorities will come to say this building is not supposed to be. What has your experience?

The basic thing to remember is we build churches as place of worship for a community of faithful people. Therefore, when demolition affects the people, families are scattered. The church cannot be exempted from the phenomenon.

When our churches were demolished, my heart moved, not so much for the structures, though they cost us money. I was more concerned about the people who were rendered homeless—families that were scattered and above all communities that had lived together, worked together for years to find themselves completely torn apart.

We are once again building. Government has promised to do things properly. We hope they will. My fear is they are not making serious efforts. There is a basic problem in Abuja—that is shelter for the poor. Mr President has a beautiful house in the Villa. He deserves it. The ministers, all have beautiful houses but so also the poor. The poor are not asking for mansions. Most of them are not asking for more than one-bedroom, two-bedroom houses.

Years ago, church projects like this one were supported by donors from foreign lands. Are these donations still coming?

Nobody should be spoon fed for ever. This church was built completely with money generated by the people in Jikwoyi. That is how it should be. Since I came, I have been trying my best not to go abroad to beg for money because I know the money is here in Nigeria. Rather than go abroad begging and bringing down my reputation and dignity, I will rather face my people here and let them really take their responsibility seriously.

Especially in those parishes where my members are living in big houses…If you are living in a big mansion, you should be able to put up one house for your parish priest. And if you are riding big cars, you should be able give me money to buy a car for the parish priest and other church workers.

The road to this place is narrow, winding and not asphalted. When conditions are dry, it is dusty—when it rains, it is muddy. We know that churches do buy aeroplanes. Since government has been failing, can’t the church say, we will build this road?

Rather than tax my people to start doing roads for which I know there is enough money with government to do, I’ll continue to tell government—do your work! Our money is there to do these things not to be stolen and carried abroad. There is no reason there should be no road, no water. The church cannot take over the role of government. I don’t receive the oil money. All the money for oil, where is it going? If they give me the money, I will do the work.