The Baptist World Alliance (BWA) recently held its 10th annual conference in Lagos, where it was revealed that the worldwide Baptist family has grown by 31 percent in the last 10 years, with Africa leading the charge with a 112 percent growth. Israel Akanji, president, Nigeria Baptist Conference (NBC) and All Africa Baptist Fellowship (AABF) spoke on some issues faced by the Church in Nigeria. JOHN SALAU brings the excerpts:
We understand the Baptist Church in Nigeria prioritises education; however, many would like to know how affordable the schools are?
You all know that the educational life of this country, Nigeria, is based on our missionary schools. That was how the education began. And in the primary schools, in the secondary schools, mission schools all over. Then they were teaching morals and teaching a lot of things. But at a time, by government policy, the government took over all the schools. And so, they made them government schools. The morals being taught in schools were no longer being taught. The prayers being offered were no longer offered. And there was nobody that had power. So, the schools belonged to the government. And after some time, it became practical again that even when the government took over our schools; the government did not have enough educational facilities. So, we had to start new schools. While most of the other schools were still bearing our names, some of them, their names were changed. Our Baptist Teachers College in Minna was changed to Ahmadu Bahago Teachers College. And other denominations also had changes. Queens of Apostles became Queen Amina College in Kaduna. St. Joseph’s College in Zaria became Barewa College. So, many schools were changed. Now, after many years, the government now returned some of the schools, not all, returned some of the schools to the missions. And said, you can have your schools back. At which time, they had built some other schools, which they called government schools, and federal government money was being used on those schools. They gave us our schools back, dilapidated. Now, Baptist Girls High School, Agbor, is so reduced and spoiled, Baptist Boys High School, Port Harcourt, look at the big compound, every building destroyed. They said, we should come and take them over and come and rebuild and start. Assuming we had continued with what we had, by now, our strength would have been so great. But now, in the midst of the economic situation, they are giving us schools back. And in some cases, our own local churches have already started other alternative schools. So, all their children go to the schools they have started. They are not giving us back the original school; where do we get the students? And people say, oh, in those days, students used to come from Lagos, from Kano, to this school. Now, we don’t see them again. How do we see them? Lagos, now, there are many schools there. They don’t have to send their children so far away. Kano, also. They don’t have to send their children to Port Harcourt. So, we’ve been given dilapidated schools; we have to reconstruct. And that is affecting our mission work to be able to reduce the cost of education. You want a very good education, which means you must have good teachers. Let me give you an example. We have a university, and we have a university teaching hospital. It costs so much to pay one consultant, and you need so many to have a teaching hospital. And you cannot tell the students to be paying school fees to do that. So, the denominations have to subsidise for all those students that read medicine and other related courses.
What is the church contributing to the development of the nation?
In spite of all that is happening, we’re still contributing to the development of this nation. Last week, I was at the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, to see the registrar; talking about starting another school of nursing. And he was telling us that the Baptist has given the best example in the nation. In terms of the school of nursing and midwifery, the Baptist Medical Center in Ogbomoso and the Bowen University in Ogbomoso, and the Baptist Medical Center in Saki; they turn out not less than 500 nurses and midwives every year, each of them. So that means two schools giving us 1,000 nurses and midwives every year. He said that there are states in Nigeria that don’t have up to 100 nurses and midwives that they can turn out. But the Baptists alone are giving 1,000 every year. If we are contributing so much into the health sector of the nation, definitely we are involved in our contributions. So, these are a few things which we have been doing apart from constant prayer, and leading our people in discipleship in order to participate adequately in the governance of our country.
Some students of a school owned by the church were kidnapped during the last administration; how were they able to bring the students back to their parents?
It was not a girls’ school alone, it was a mixed school, and 121 were abducted. We are grateful to God that we got them all back after six months. That means they were coming back in batches. Dealing with the kidnappers is one of the most horrible things, one of the most horrible experiences one can ever have. Don’t ever expect any truth from them. If they tell you 20 will be released, they may release only two, and you will start fresh negotiation. And when you say, you told us you will release 20, you released just two, and they come out with a very heavy abuse on you. When did I say 20? You want to force words into my mouth? You know, that’s the way they will be talking to you. So, it was a painful period, and you will be answering them, yes sir, yes sir. You know, that’s the way you will be saying it. Even when I was speaking with them, I gave them the fullest respect that a kidnapper deserves when he has your child in his hand. So, it is when they are out that we start talking anyhow. But while the children were in their hands, we were treating them with great respect.
What then should be done about security?
Security issues have been spoken about over and over and over again. But I think one problem with Nigeria is the problem of impunity. When people do things that are wrong and they go free, they walk freely everywhere, nothing happens after they’ve done that. Nigeria has not brought out the scapegoats. Usually, it’s like a tree that is giving you problems, and you are just treating the leaves; where the roots are there. But a lot of times when the people go out and kidnap, they go and report back to others. There are some people who are the ones they deliver their messages to. They have leaders, and such leaders ought to be the targets that the country should take hold of and make examples of. So, we think that the issue of impunity is a major issue in the country. Secondly, security is the work of everyone. It is not to be left to security agents alone.
But I really want to feel that our government should ensure that there is an increase in private security initiatives. Educationally, we have accepted private schools. So, they joined to help the government schools because the government alone cannot provide education. We have private hospitals. They are supporting the government effort because the government alone cannot provide healthcare. So, why won’t there be private security initiatives that will be operating in various states. If we have private security initiatives, definitely insecurity will reduce drastically because the private people will do their work. It is time for Nigeria to consider what we call state security. Yes, state police.
We have a kind of federal police, and sometimes when they are in the state, they even tell you there is nothing they can do until they hear the command from somebody up there. We have 36 states and a federal capital. Why won’t there be state police wherein every state has a governor that can issue an instruction and the police will work on it? If we have state police, every state will defend its own state in such a way that criminals from another state will not use any of it. State police can help us to reduce criminality.
In all of these, where does the Church come in?
So, it is not in the hands of the church to handle security. We don’t have the permission to do that. It’s part of the government’s responsibilities. So, our task is to continue to pray, to continue to sensitize the government, to continue to speak to the government. This occasion also is another occasion in which we are speaking to our government to ensure that we have security of lives and property, which is a major function of governance in every state. So that, I can say, is what we are adding.
