The General Overseer of the Evangelical Outreach Ministries International in Jos, Plateau State, Prophet Isa El-Buba, shared his insights on the country’s insecurity with The Punch.
When asked about the mutual suspicions among Nigeria’s major tribes, he said President Tinubu was his president and that he gave him full loyalty. He stated that he rejected the language of hate, explaining that what existed in Nigeria was not hatred but long-standing historical hurt that had never been properly healed.
He added that during every election season, politicians exploited these old wounds to win votes and then abandoned them afterward, allowing the grievances to resurface.
Further talking, he said, “Yoruba don’t hate the Igbo; the North doesn’t hate the South. What we have is a deficit of justice, not love. Absolutely, the Igbo people don’t hate Nigeria. But they are disturbed that the country hasn’t loved them back fairly.”
He said that the Igbo people had built, served, and even shed blood for Nigeria, noting that they had invested in every part of the country and continued to believe in its potential. However, he added that love could not last without justice. According to him, what the Igbo people; and indeed all Nigerian groups; desired was fairness, inclusion, and respect.
He stated that when equity became the basis of governance, mistrust would naturally fade. He stressed that true unity would only be achieved when no child in Kano, Enugu, or Ibadan felt like a stranger in their own nation. Until then, he said, the national anthem would remain only a song rather than a lived reality.
He also argued that the idea of “state of origin” should include clear residency provisions based on 15 years of residence or birth. In addition, he emphasized the need to increase women’s participation in politics, saying it would make a significant difference. View, More,
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