The Most Reverend Bishop John Ayah is the Catholic Bishop of Uyo Diocese. In an exclusive interview with our reporter Lovina Emole, he discussed exhaustively on the contemporary issues ravaging Nigeria especially the killings of Christians and the President’s inability to take decisive actions against the culprits and the way forward. Ayah who has been a bishop for over eleven years also cleared the air on the Catholics membership in CAN.
Excerpt:
Can you briefly introduce yourself?
I am Bishop John Ayah, Catholic bishop of Uyo Diocese. I joined the priesthood some twenty – five years ago and became bishop some 11 years ago. I actually began as the Bishop of Ogoja and later (precisely in September, 2014) was translated as the local ordinary of Uyo Diocese.
So far what are your experiences since you were ordained as bishop and the things you want to change or improve on in your diocese?
Well, the only phenomenon that is permanent in life is change and one that brings meaningful orientation in people’s lives. When I began in Ogoja as the bishop, there were just about sixty-seven (67) parishes. Before I left the Diocese I created forty-seven more. We were also blessed with vocations to the priesthood. That means we had the man power, thus I had priests to send into these newly created parishes. But as our Lord tells us in the Gospel: The harvest is rich but the labourers are few. We need more priests, because the people are yearning for the word of God. We need to bring the word of God to world soaked deep in corruption, vice and materialism. Change in this regard is really necessary. I personally pray for a positive change of heart, beginning with us who are the preachers of the word so that we can be the epistle that people read and learn to truly love God and neighbour in their lives.
What is your assessment of the president’s fight against corruption?
The president has tried in his own way, no one is perfect. But from what one reads in our daily tabloids, one observes that many of our corrupt politicians run from one political party to another where they feel they can be shielded from the long arm of the law. There have been concrete cases where people have defected from PDP to APC. By making this move, EFCC has not even dared to investigate, because if he starts probing those people who run into his party it will be like he is fighting or battling with his very self. I thought APC, for instance, could have put forward some stringent conditions, prescriptions or laid down rules about people decamping into its fold, that in part explains why many run away from other parties into APC to find refuge. The fight against corruption is a tactical one; it is not something you can just win overnight. Corruption is endemic in this country and for any government that intends to fight it successfully, it needs to study the trends surrounding it very carefully, ask questions on how other democracies in the world have come to grip with this hydra-headed monster. The answers deriving therefrom will then guide the government on how to go about this fight. As for our president, it may have been easy for him to fight corruption as a military head of state. The state in which he finds himself today is quite different. Any move he intends to take must be given the go ahead or approved by the Senate. Therefore, if the Senate fails to give its approval, he will obviously encounter some bottlenecks which will create problems for him, politically speaking.
A further pressing problem in this country is centred on security. We are reliably informed that most, if not all, of our security chiefs in the country are persons belonging to a particular religious persuasion, as our president himself. In other words, they are all Muslims, and to be more specific, Fulanis. Does it mean no other tribe in the country is fit enough to be included in the job of securing our beloved country? People seem to think that he is paving way for his second term bid by featuring only people of his tribe and religion as the Chief Security officers. Many questions are being asked and I think there is an urgent need for him to provide answers. Briefly put, there is a break in communication between the leader and the led.
Linked further to security concerns are killings being carried out by Cattle Fulani herdsmen. Until this moment, the President has not made any major statement on the killings in question. It was only yesterday he said, he was going to pursue all those who are killer herdsmen and we, the Catholic Bishops, are asking if he really means what he is saying. We are doubtful of this, because the statement is too vague. Many Nigerians think he is just making a political statement. I accept that many of Muslim brothers and sisters have been victims of these killings, but I dare to say that the heaviest casualties have borne by Christians in different parts of the country. The recent killings in Makurdi, those in Southern kaduna and in Jalingo – Taraba state bear testimonies to this. In most of these killings, Muslims have been protected.
Since you talked of the killing of Christians by herdsmen in the country and Buhari’s inability to tackle the menace, what action do you expect him to take?
First of all the killings are long overdue. The president should have stemmed the tidelong ago when he came into power just like he did with Boko Haram. That explains why we are complaining about his security formations. He should have included Christians as part of the security apparatus of the country. In a press conference with president Trump, he remarked that the attacks in the different parts of the country were carried out by insurgents from Lybia. And we are all asking: How could insurgents from Lybia penetrate the borders of this country and carry out killings in the different parts of the country (already mentioned)? But his statement reveals that there is a major crack in the security apparatus of the country. To correct some of these anomalies, he should begin by calling on the Inspector-General of Police to answer to the Senate that has requested him to appear before them.
I personally commend him for handling the Boko Haram phenomenon so tactfully. He should consider the case of the little Christian girl, Leah Sharibu, who has professed to remain a Christian. Our President should consider himself as a leader, not only for Muslim Nigeria, but also for Christian Nigeria.
Sir in the light of what is happening to Christians what would you advise the Christians to do?
Our Christians shouldn’t take up arms. You know, when a mad man behaves in a mad way you too should not behave in the same way else people will think you are mad yourself. If we behave like them that means we are not different from them. We are on our knees praying. We are praying and this is when they will know that prayer works and we advise Christians to be very fervent and serious with their prayer Life. It is worrisome when we observe many of our Christians paying mere lip service to the practice of their faith. I think people should practice their faith with exemplary lives.
You can recall that the other day we (Catholics of Uyo Diocese) marched to Government House, government of our nation that it was enough with killings carried out so far. I was at the forefront of the march. If I were to be at the spot of the killings, I would be ready to take the first bullet. I am ready to die as a martyr than to die holding a gun to kill the enemy; vengeance belongs to God and not to man, so we keep praying and when we pray God will answer us in his own way.
What is the position of Catholics in their involvement in CAN because we hear of an on-going negotiation for catholic to re-join after pulling out for about 5 years ago?
The Catholic Church in Nigeria initiated the idea of CAN. It was Dominic Cardinal Ekandem’s brainchild, founded as an ecumenical association to unite other Christian bodies. Bishop Sunday Mbang of the Methodist Church also featured prominently as a founding father. With time, Cardinal Ekandem also brought other Christian bodies such as the Anglican Communion, the Apostolic Church, and the Presbyterian Church. At a later stage, our Pentecostal brethren indicated interest to join this body. The body was doing so well and featured as a conscience to government and to our politicians. Of late, the association has been tainted with some abuses of which the CBCN has temporarily withdrawn her membership to allow for some proper reorganization of the body.
Also, the Catholic bishops had invited the Pope over the killings of Christians in some parts of Nigeria, so what is the situation right now, is it going to be realistic?
Let me correct an impression. We are not inviting the Holy Father because of the killings. We are inviting him to come and bless our country. We pray he honours our invitation. It doesn’t mean that he must come. I know he will first of all study his schedule to see if it is convenient for him to honour the invitation. But if it is not possible for him to come to nation soon, then he may have to shift the visit to next year or whenever it is convenient for him. But all the same, we pray that he visits Nigeria as he has visited other countries. I know his visit will bring a lot of benefits to our nation.
Sir everyone is calling for restructuring as the only viable solution to our crisis what is your take on that?
Yes, the idea of restructuring should be subjected to a debate. It is healthy situation for our democracy that people from the different climes of our polity sit on a round table and talk about restructuring. Also there should be a credible opposition that can help to check the excesses of the political party in power. I must state that a credible opposition is the conscience of any credible democratic system.
Permit me to digress a little. I entertain a big fear that as elections are drawing nearer, most of our politicians would recruit children from poor homes to attack their opponents, leaving out their own children studying in famous institutions of learning overseas. In situation like this, it is children from poor homes who run around and get killed at the end of the day. We must strive hard to protect our youths, keeping them from harm’s way.
So what is your advice to Nigerian youths?
I want to tell our youths that they are not lazy. We love and appreciate them. We are and will continue to talk on their behalf. Our own time is up, we are not getting any younger. We want to let them know that they are the ones that take up the helms of affairs in this country. The Not too old to run bill signed into law by the president should serve as an encouragement for them. If we, the older folks, have made mistakes in running the affairs of this country, I pray that they would not make the same mistakes. They can build up Nigeria to be a healthy country and the envy of other nations. They should copy designs from other democratic countries that have succeeded in Agriculture, in power generation and in so many ways that keep democracy alive and see how they can move the nation forward.
Finally, sir are there challenges and regrets for being a Catholic priest?
As old as I am (laughs)? Well there is no aspect of life you don’t have sorrows and joys, that is what makes life meaningful. I had my own challenges as a young priest but I gradually grew up to surmount them. It is not an easy task to manage human beings. It is even more difficult to be a leader because most of the time people are out to criticize and pick holes in what you do, sometimes even with the best of the intentions. I must also remark that there are some who will always appreciate your efforts. In leadership, one must learn from the past in a bid to move forward. We must pray for the grace to accept and work with the critical remarks people make about us. As leaders, we are not perfect. We equally have a lot to learn from the people we lead. I have no regrets for being a priest, if I were to come back in the next world I will also like to be a priest.
