Rt. Reverend John Garba Danbinta is the Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Gusau. In this interview with some selected Journalists, he averred that God is the only solution to Nigeria predicaments. He also bares his mind on some other important issues. ISAIAH BENJAMIN was there for LEADERSHIP SundayIn Nigeria today, there seems to be hardship and sufferings, as a spiritual leader, what do you think is the way out'I will not pretend to say all is well in the country. Indeed, there is suffering but we are praying for Gods intervention. We need prayers as a nation, people need to turn to God, fear him in all their dealings, avoid all forms of injustice. In Zamfara state for instance, we cannot freely worship our God without molestation, it is indeed very unfortunate. As a bonifide citizens of Nigeria, our right to freedom of worship is being trampled upon. So, the simple solutions to the present hardship is to turn to God and for our leaders at all levels to equally fear God and ensure that justice is done to all regardless of their religion, ethnic or party affiliations.How has the Church being fairing in Zamfara State'All is not well with the Christians in Zamfara State particularly the Anglican members. You can recall that His Excellency Mallam Ahmed Sani Yeriman Bakura instructed the demolition of St. Peters Anglican Church Bakura in the year 2004, simply because it was situated by the road side. Infact, the first building to be seen before entering Bakura town. The then Governor after demolishing the structure which our members spent money and time to build, gave them a piece of land in a bush very far away from the town and asked the Anglican Church members to go and rebuild their church where they kept battling with snakes and scorpions. Our members in Bakura and the Anglican Church can never forget what Governor Ahmed Sani and his Government did to us. The kind of pains and troubles we have gone through is still a sad thing to mention and remember. Thieves kept breaking our doors and windows that we fixed. Stealing and removing everything we put inside the building. There was no electricity in the place where we were forcefully relocated. We wired the building and installed ceiling fans for us to be using generator on Sundays during our services and weekly activities, but thieves kept stealing them and vandalizing our doors and windows. We thought that such a Dark Age has passed in Zamfara State.Our Land at Federal Low Cost Tudun Wada Gusau ,Our Diocese has four parcels of land at the Federal Low Cost Gusau, Zamfara, a Federal Government Land which we got since 2002 and with our papers of ownership from the Federal Ministry of Lands and housing where we intended to build a Computer School was confiscated by His Excellency, the then Governor of Zamfara State, Alhaji Ahmed Sani who stopped us from developing the said parcels of land and finally took over the aforementioned parcels of land from us. He mobilized some people at the Federal Low Cost to rise against us or deal with us whenever we come to develop the said site or claim ownership. This is not an exaggeration since someone whom I respected so much warned me that people were planning to riot by fighting anyone of us who tries to develop the parcels of land in the name of the Church or have any claim of ownership by the Church. Being the Bishop of the Diocese, the man met me and told me that the land was allocated to the people of Federal low cost by the Governor and the State would build a Universal Basic Education Primary School for the Community. He told me that the people in that Community would drastically deal with anybody who wants to have anything on the said parcels of land because Yerima had given it to them and had instructed on what must be done there. Today, we have no right to talk about the said parcels of land because Zamfara State Government has taken them over from us without consultation let alone compensation. We have nowhere to lay our complain or report the problem with integrity and rights and privileges in the state as fellow citizens of one Nigeria and in fact the rightful owner of the land; or have someone to intervene in our unfortunate situation as fellow citizens of one Nigeria. One thing I believe is that, in spite of all these, we know that Our God reigns and he is in control.We also believe that even though Christians in Gusau have no access to meeting their political leaders to share their joys and sorrows after they supported in voting and electing them to their offices, we always believe that we have access to meeting our God who fights our battles and gives us the grace to endure all things.However, it is unfortunate to note that this kind of barbaric treatment still takes place in Nigeria the so called Giant of Africa. I believe that Nigeria can also be referred to as giant of Africa in corruption, religious intolerance, tribal sentiment, ethnicity, pride and pomposity and titles bearing. In what way are we better than Sudan, Somalia or even Afghanistan' In what way can we compare ourselves with South Africa or Ghana, where there are many Christians and Muslims and even animists, but still, no one feels threatened or denied of his or her right and privileges to practice his or her own religion' All we lack in this country is tolerance, justice and fair treatment. But we should not forget the fact that one day, all of us Christians and Muslims as our religious Books teach us, will leave this world and face our Creator (Our loving, patient, Righteous, merciful and just God); and whether we like it or not, we will all give account of whatever we are doing or have ever done in this world.Has the church approached the present Governor Abdulaziz Yari on some of these challenges'The situation has not change as of today. Saint Stephens Anglican Church Gusau, even though built in an isolated area, has suffered the wrath of Governor Abdulaziz Abubakar Yari. The Church was built far away from the town, erected in an area that is about 1km away from the Sokoto/Zaria bye pass. The reason for the demolition is still not known to us. It was probably demolished because people who are coming from Sokoto to Zaria could see it. This is partly true because no concrete reason is given by the Zamfara State Government for the demolition of our church. In Zamfara State, it appears that to see a church by the road side when entering a town is an unpardonable sin. In 2011, one of our churches, Emmanuel Anglican Church, and our pastors house was burnt to ashes in Tsafe town. The Federal Government during the former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, gave us the sum of two million six hundred thousand naira, as compensation (N2,600,000); and out of it, the valuer collected two hundred and eighty six thousand naira, (N286, 000), for his work. This is very ridiculous. The money given to us would not even be enough for laying the foundation of our pastors house (Vicarage), that was burnt together with the church not to talk of building a house and a church with two million six hundred thousand naira (N2,600:000); let alone building the church and the pastors house. What about all the musical instruments, seats (pews), microphones, and other valuable things that were burnt in the church or in the pastors house' The fact remains that, the money should have been taken from the allocation that the Federal Government gave to Zamfara State that year to compensate us to rebuild our place of worship and our pastors house since the church and the house were not the ones that made them to lose the elections. That would have made us know that Christians also are treated equally and with dignity within this country. That was not done at all.St. Stephens Anglican Church Gusau has now been demolished by ZUREPB on the instruction of His Excellency, Alhaji Abdulaziz Abubakar Yari, our Governor. There was no notice of demolition served on us but only to be told that they mobilized policemen and civil defense personnels to escort the demolishers of our church' They met our pastors and some of our members who pleaded with them to allow them remove the aluminium zinc that they bought for the roofing of the said built place of worship which was kept inside the Church; but they were not allowed to remove it. That treatment was very barbaric and shows mans inhumanity to man.When our pastor, Reverend. Canon N. C Daniel wanted to remove our Bibles and other valuable things, some of them pulled him out of the church and tore his clerical shirt (clothes) to pieces and threatened to kill him. He therefore left our Bibles and other valuable things and ran away for his dear life. We reported this issue to the Emir of Gusau and the Emir of Anka, the Chairman of the Council of Emirs in Zamfara State; all of them promised to talk to the Governor on our behalf and assured us that justice would be done. But to our chagrin and big shock, still, the Governor has not called us for a talk to encourage us or said a word to the Christian community; not even the Anglican Church. Once more, His Grace, the Most Revd. Edmund Akanya, the Archbishop of the Ecclesiastical Province of Kaduna, and the Anglican Bishop of Kebbi Diocese, accompanied by the Rt. Revd. Dr. Ali Buba Lamido, the Bishop of Wusasa Zaria, and the Rt. Revd. Yusuf Ishaya Janfalan, the Anglican Bishop Ikara Diocese, with my humble self and some of our members, met the Emir of Anka, His Royal Highness, Alhaji Dr. Attahiru Ahmed Muhammad, Chairman of Council of Emirs and Traditional Rulers of Zamfara State, and the Emir of Gusau, His Royal Highness, Alhaji Dr. Ibrahim Bello to officially report and make an appeal for them to talk to the Governor for him to compensate us and let justice be s done in this matter.From what we have gathered in our meetings with these Royal Fathers, they really sympathized with us and expected not this ugly thing to have happened in Zamfara State.We also have meetings with the SSG of Zamfara State, the commissioner for land and other Government functionaries in the state, where they condemned the demolition of St. Stephens Church and told us that His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Zamfara State, did not instruct people to demolish our church. They also promised us that the Governor would call us for a meeting and they assured us that justice would be done in the matter. But when shall we see that justice done' We have not been invited by the Governor for any meeting, but instead heard from many people that he has compensated St. Stephens Anglican Church with twenty million naira (N20,000,000). We have heard another story that we have sued the Governor or the Zamfara State Government to court, but when we asked them to tell us who did it and to which court, they could not tell us.
Click here to read full news..
