Bishop S.T.V ADEGBITE, LAGOS CAN Chairman Explains
Rt. Rev Stephen Tunde Victor Adegbite is the Chairman of Lagos CAN. Since early this year, Adegbite who is the Bishop of the Metropolitan Diocese of Methodist Church Ikeja, Lagos, has been very vocal in his support for the emergence of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu as the President of Nigeria and Sanwo-Olu as Governor of Lagos.
And since Tinubu and Sanwo-Olu won and assumed their respective offices, he has continued to drum home support for Pres. Tinubu and the Lagos Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
A few days ago, City People spent quality time with this vocal man of God at his Ikeja office. What are his impressions about the state of the nation, we asked the Bishop who turned 55 last Thursday and celebrated 35 years in the Ministry. He smiled. “The State of our nation for now, no doubt about it is a bit critical. But we must know where we are coming from. And you will agree with me that the last 22 to 24 years in Nigeria has not been pleasant.
Since we returned to democracy in 1999 the Managers of Nigeria have not done well, starting from President Obasanjo, to Jonathan, Muhammadu Buhari. And because of the backlog that we have, it is not something that an individual can fix in less than 3 months. Everybody knows that it is not possible. He is not a magician. The situation has to be studied properly, more so that the government has just been formed. We are waiting for the inauguration of Ministers. After this, we would know we have a government when every Minister will now man his own Ministry and the job will now begin. It is now that we will begin to look forward to some significant change, and that will take another 6 months. At that time, they would have known where they are going and the policy they want to implement will have been implemented. Then we can begin to see the dividends of democracy which is our prayer. And I know by the special grace of God, Nigeria will smile again and things will be better for our country. But for now, the situation is critical. What we are going through now is a sacrifice that must be made.”
How does he always feel each time he reads negative comments on the social media about Mr. President, with people heaping all the blame on him, and some asking the question is this what we voted for? “That is normal. And that is Nigerians for you. Nigerians are like the Israelites. They are never patient. You can imagine, Moses was not allowed to get to the promised land because of the impatience of the Israelites. They were talking and talking until they made the man to misbehave. And God said No, I never asked you to do that. I never asked you to strike. I said touch. But because of striking the rock, look, that is the promised land. You will see it with your eyes, but you will never get there and that was why he died on Moriah Mountain. That is the same thing that happens in the country. Most of them, if they are given the opportunity, they will do worst things. But to criticise is the cheapest thing to do in Nigeria and more so that we now have the social media which has complicated our situation. It is unbelievable what people are saying not only to Mr. President but to most of us who support Mr. President. But I don’t give a damn to that. I know the end will justify the means. And when the time comes, they will see it. But they can’t take away from him all he has done, steps that other Presidents refused to take, within 2 weeks he took over. He changed all the service chiefs and ensured that things are done properly. And for the first time, people in Kaduna South know that they are part of government and that their own man is now heading that place and our security. I believe things will change for the best by the special grace of God. Nigerians still need to be more patient with Mr. President and with his Renewed Hope agenda.
