Rev. (Dr) Friday Nwator is the President of Integrity and Faithful Ministers Network Worldwide and Founder of House of Peace Ministries, Port Harcourt. A one time member of the 1st Constituent Assembly, representing Khana/Gokana/Oyigbo/Tai/Eleme Constituency at the National Assembly. He was also the President of All Doctors Forum in Nigeria. A UN Ambassador of Peace and a holder of OON award of the FG. Nwator has been a medical doctor for 44 years and a bishop for 11 years. He is married with children. In this interview with our Executive Editor, Barth Ndu, he bares his mind on religious matters in 2012 and other issues of national interest. Here are excerpts.
Sir, how did Christianity fair in Nigeria in 2012?
2012 has ended; there is no way of assessing a spiritual organization unless you are within the sector. Christianity has suffered untold hardship in 2012, mostly in the North where Christians are being attacked, making it difficult to witness or preach the gospel. In the South yes, Christians preach and people are being converted, but men of God are now controlled by the drive to acquire wealth. It is not the number of members or money in your church that make you a good pastor.
So the summary is that Christianity has suffered in Nigeria and men have wandered away, therefore let us come together so that God will continue to be our God.
Bishop can you say that the proliferation of churches in Nigeria is a blessing or a curse?
How I wish that every house in Nigeria becomes a church. The preaching of the gospel is helping to put a stop on sin. It is better to proliferate churches than no churches at all.
The 2012 has witnessed a lot of trying moments for the nation, such as, the air crashes namely, the Dana air crash where over 200 persons lost their lives and the Navy Helicopter where a sitting governor, a retired Army General and their Aides were killed. What do you think could have caused this calamity?
When calamity came to Israel was when they wandered away from God. Therefore I believe that God is calling our attention through the calamity. So many politicians are fetish and members of many evil cults. Public Officers have acquired a lot of unexplained wealth, therefore God is angry with the country. Therefore what we need to do is to call all the men of God together to seek the face of God for forgiveness. The plane crashes, especially the Navy helicopter were rumored to have suffered the effect of evil arrows or the planes were not properly maintained. I also heard that the helicopter flew for over 14 times that day before the crash, how could somebody authorize an aircraft to fly such number of times. Now I hear that Dana Air has been given license to operate again. What type of thing is that?
Sir, recently there have been cases of top politicians getting sick mysteriously. What do you think is (are)the causes of these ailments?
Almost all the governors are sick, for example Cross River, Kogi, Anambra, Taraba and so on, this should tell the President that there is problem in the country. I therefore call on the leadership of Christians in Nigeria to return to God. Let us have at least a 3-day prayer and fasting to cry to God for forgiveness. For it is appointed unto man once to die and after the judgment.
The flood disaster also devastated the country. Do you share the idea that the flood is an indirect way God used in punishing Nigeria?
No. God does not punish people in this dispensation, he withdraws to allow satan take over. I believe that God used the flood to cleanse the country. All the devilish animals, trees and all the fetish things have been wiped away by the flood. The Integrity and Faithful Ministers Network prayed for three days and the flood seized. Rainbow even appeared in so many places in Rivers State to confirm God’s vow that he will not destroy the world again with flood. But it is sickening when there is so much rituals and sin. God will restore us back again in Jesus name.
Integrity and Faithful Ministers Worldwide Network has recently been borne. What exactly is the primary aim or focus of this group?
Integrity and Faithful Ministers Network has been given the mandate by God to sanitize the Christendom in the country. When I was in Trans Atlantic and Pacific Alliance of Churches, TAPAC in London, the presiding Bishop abused his position by consecrating unqualified persons as bishops, so I dissociated from TAPAC and was directed by God to set up a group called Integrity and Faithful Ministers Network. The church of God is sick, men of God commit all manner of sins ranging from adultery to covetousness and God told me to step in and sanitize the system. People are saying that I am like Nathan in the Bible. The aim is to gather men of God together whether good or bad to preach the undiluted gospel to turn around the situation. We are believing God that this task will not fail. Our intention is to preach the word of God live on local, national and international media, correcting the attitude of men of God on the need for them to embrace integrity. We have just consecrated the first female bishop, in the person of Mrs (Bishop) Bassey and our membership is growing rapidly. Just recently some people joined us from the North, Cross River, Delta and Anambra States.
President Goodluck Jonathan has been accused of not doing enough to tackle the security challenges in the country, mostly the Boko Haram insurgence. Others say he is too slow in taking decisions. What is your reaction to this, Sir?
Everybody is condemning Jonathan, they are saying he is slow, he is bad, even Asari Dokubo, a militant. I believe the office of the President should be respected. If people mock or scorn the office of the President, it robs off negatively on everybody. It is true that Jonathan does not care for the people that care for him. What Jonathan is doing now is to appease militants with money. When has the office of the President being determined by militants? For Asari to have said that Jonathan will not last till 2015 is a bad statement and he should apologize to Jonathan and the entire country for such utterance. If for any reason we want to criticize the President, it should be done with respect. Asari and the likes have no reason to criticize the President, after all he has benefitted from the government.
Sir, what is your new year message or advice to Christians and non Christians alike in Nigeria?
My message is that Boko Haram should sheath their sword and stop killing Nigerians. Christians should not revenge the attack of Boko Haram, instead Christians should pray for God to have mercy on the country.
The Integrity Group has concluded arrangement for a national prayer by March this year the venue will either be in Enugu or Port Harcourt to intercede for the nation. We are happy that Nigeria is still together after all these problems. We have no other country than Nigeria, therefore all hands should be on deck to keep the nation one. ###
