Bishop Udo Azuogu is the Prelate of our Sanctuary Gospel Church of Nigeria. He is the president of Oil Mineral Producing Area Landlords’ Association of Nigeria (OMPALAN). He trained as a civil engineer in France and hails from Oguta. In this chat with our editor, Afam Echi, Azogu takes a swipe on Igbo leaders who he described as bootlickers while insisting that Buhari is the will of God. He has consistently predicted the coming back of Ihedioha even as he confirmed that Senator Uzodimma has lost his crown. An exciting read.
Sir I read your Face book message for the second time in two months talking about change of guard in Imo government house and this time you are welcoming back Emeka Ihedioha. What would remove Uzodimma and how?
I mentioned what I saw in the spirit realm. How it will happen I don’t know. But there is a force bringing back Ihedioha if he relates with God properly. He is coming back before 2024. And then for Hope he has been sent out of government house spiritually. The key has been taking from him and sealed. But if he too humbles himself and seeks the face of God, you know we are dealing with a merciful God, it can change for him. I need to mention it because it has been long coming, every time same message comes. It is just to put both of them on guard.
You are saying Ihedioha is coming back and in one breath you say that if Uzodimma changes and seeks the face of God, does that not sound contradictory?
No, it is not. God is interested in the way the governments of the world are administered. He will state his mind, like he told Moses to lead the children of Israel but Moses went out of his way and couldn’t get there. God also said that he can bridge his promise, for instance God can say that you can be this and that, that is with the caveat that you will move on the righteous path, if you don’t do so he will change his mind. That is why the children of Israel made in forty years a journey they could have made in forty days. You see some people that are gifted that can see through the spirit realm, they see things happening. For instance Ihedioha came to my house before the election to solicit my support. He came with Irona.
But when we went to the church with Irona’s brother, the Lord said they will win the election but it will be taken from them. So I sounded that warning to them and they refused to listen and it was taken. If they had come and done the right prayers, why God reveals all these things is so that we don’t become disappointed.
People don’t understand it, some of these prophecies have caveats. It is like what happened in Edo. Edo couldn’t have been PDP, it could have been APC but Oshiomhole and his group wanted it their own way, that is when they lost.
What is the caveat that Emeka Ihedioha needs to fulfill this time around to clinch the position?
I have told you. He has called me already before this prophecy. I have told him that the prayers he did, the Lord said that he didn’t do it properly. He has to repeat it. God will give you prayer points, on what to pray. It is like when Naman went to Elisha, he told him to go and bath seven times in the Jordan, Naman was angry.
He thought Elisha would touch him and call on his God, but no God has specific reactions to specific demands. And Naman was saying they have Avana and Abava in Syria which are better than the River Jordan.
So he left in anger but his subordinates pleaded with him to go and do this thing. A good prophet and a true man of God would not ask you to bring a kobo. But if he prays for you and you are satisfied you can come and thank God in the church. The Bible says that freely were you given and freely shall you give.
I noticed from your previous comments you seem to show more love and interest in President Muhammadu Buhari that you can be described as his supporter. Where is that coming from?
You see before I wasn’t supporting Buhari because of the propaganda. In 2015, the Lord said that we should support him because he is from Him but we refused. Again, in 2019 the same message came and this time I have to support him. I want to let you know that God says that if Buhari is killed, Boko Haram and Jihadists would take the reins of power. Buhari may not be here to better the economy of the country but God put him there stop the Jihadists. But many people do not believe it. You can stand and pray and ask this prophecy is it from heaven, the Lord will show you.
How do you reconcile it with the wide spread opinion and beliefs that Buhari himself is in support and championing the Jihadists movement through his body language?
It is not true, it is not true. Look at the extent he is destroying them now. He has finished them. The truth is that many elites do not accept Buhari. This is because before a few generals were determining the fate of this country, deciding who will be in Aso Rock.
They decided Buhari’s case but when he assumed power he rejected them and that is the genesis of his problems. There is wide spread corruption in the country but Buhari is not corrupt. As a man of God we are monitoring him. He is not corrupt as a person. We agree a lot of people around him are corrupt.
You stated that the political leaders in the South East have failed the region and that is the reason according to you that the Independent Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) are agitating. Do you also not see the injustice and marginalization of the Igbo nation as a critical factor beyond your point? Buhari even described the Igbo as dot in a circle.
We can look at it from the other side of the coin. Look at the personalities that attended Buhari’s visit to Imo. All these personalities cannot command respect in Igbo land, but only one person Nnamdi Kalu will issue a word and all the Igbo would listen to Nnamdi Kanu.
This is a shame. So it is leadership failure. All those high sounding names in the class of Bishops, politicians, are all redundant, they have no force. Buhari is not against the Igbo because the allocation that is due to the South East are paid promptly to them. What do the governors do with the money? If they deliver good governance all these agitations would stop I can assure you. Nnamdi Kanu is doing the right thing but he took the wrong decision.
What do you think is the wrong decision he took?
He started attacking Buhari. That is wrong. He should ask our governors where they kept our funds. That is the mistake that he made. Again, he said that the Buhari they are seeing is a cloned Buhari. That is insulting. I have met Buhari and I know him in person, I have had a meeting with him one on one and Nnamdi Kanu wants me to believe that he is cloned
Why do you think Igbo elder, clerics like you and traditional leaders among other stakeholders are silent about bad governance in Imo State?
They are bootlickers. They have failed the region. They just want to identify with anybody who is a governor, or Senator, that is wrong. Hope Uzodimma is my friend, my good friend, I supported him a lot but that doesn’t mean that when he is going wrong that I should keep quiet.
Ihedioha and Irona came to my house but that doesn’t mean when God speaks that I should keep quiet. Things are going wrong in Imo. It is sheer hypocrisy. Buhari has come to Imo State what did we gain? Did he promise he will do anything for Imo since he has come? No. Buhari is an intelligent man, an intelligent officer. I don’t think he was impressed personally. I know him, I know his body language. He knows me and I know him.
I think he stated his impression in thank you comment- in what has eventually turned out a controversial statement which government officials are now struggling to recreate its meaning. You may be right here
Don’t mind them. Femi Adeshina is just trying to cover up things. What Buhari said everybody heard it. We know the context. He came with the mind of commissioning projects-bridges, he didn’t see any but all these high sounding names, and then when he went to commission about 2 or 3Km of roads, you can imagine, he didn’t see the inhabitants of the communities. They didn’t come out. He is an intelligence officer, he knows he was a failure. I am an APC stalwart. I am in APC because of Buhari, God said that I should support him. I am a man of God, where God is that is where I am standing.
In the days old our natural leaders usually sought the face of God on critical issues. There are still prophets that God speaks to because many of you make revelations about governance that turn out true. Heeding to prophetic warnings can help save certain situations. Why is it that our leaders no longer listen to prophecies?
It is because most of the leaders in government are thieves, they are robbers. They are not out to serve God or the people, so they will not like to hear anything that they don’t have in mind. Look at somebody like Mbakwe. Look at what he did with little or no money, why don’t we have a replica of Mbakwe? The leaders we have today don’t fear God. They are there to collect money and that is why it is difficult.
Today we have so many prophets, prophetic churches and ministries making you wonder if God was hiding these prophets. Why in spite of our highly religious disposition and numerous churches and mosques everywhere yet things keep falling apart, and we keep retrogressing?
I want to tell us authoritatively that in Nigeria there are only six churches that have the Light, only six among the millions. That is what the Holy Spirit said.
Can you name these churches?
No I cannot name them.
Why Sir. The people should know and identify with them?
But I know that my church has Light and that is why it is true but you can find out. The reason people are disappointed is that they don’t read the Bible. The Bible said don’t believe any prophecy until you put it to test. You find it in 1st John 4: 1-3. Many people come out with prophecies from demons and people tend to believe it without putting it to test. This my prophecy I challenge Christians to put it to test
You mean your prophecy on the coming back of Ihedioha and the exit of Hope?
Yes, let them put it to test and see if it is from heaven.
I have also heard from prophets who insist that Hope Uzodimma must go come rain, come sun but that Ihedioha is not coming back but another person who will redeem the state. How do you reconcile it with yours?
Well, I have told you. That prophecy may be true, but if Ihedioha surrenders to God he is the person that will come back. There are options, there are three of them really but the odds are more in favour of Ihedioha. That is the reason that I didn’t mention the other two.
What is your position on restructuring?
Everybody likes restructuring but it would be more acceptable if it impacts on the grass roots. Those now clamouring for restructuring are the elites. Even now the 13% derivative oil funds goes the elites, NNPC same elites.
Restructuring will be acceptable if there is a mechanism to ensure that local communities are carried along. We don’t want a restructuring where the gap between the elites and the poor would still be wide. So let us restructure our mindset first. The 13% in Imo State every month is about 800m naira but we don’t see the impact. There is nothing on ground.
Why should we ask the government to give us more? It is like the Petroleum Industry Act, PIA recently assented to by Mr. President. That 3% is more than 30% that accrues from petroleum funds but they may still not get it because of corruption. Look at what President Buhari did using the Executive Order to channel local government allocations direct to the Council’s but it is not happening. This is why I tell you that Buhari is an angel.
When Obasanjo was there he had to withhold Council funds for Lagos for months. When these funds get to the LGAs it would reduce insecurity. Look at the bunkering that goes on in oil areas, which devastate our lands yet we have our security operatives operating without injecting sanity. The bunkering and illegal refining destroying our eco system and nobody is talking.
You are the president of OMPALAN, what is the relationship between your group and the government like?
The government would not support OMPALAN because we are against what they are doing with the 13% derivative funds. They don’t want anybody to advise them on how to use the funds to develop the area. We are recognized by law but they will not want to work with us but that will not change our position. What the governors want is that people should be singing their praises. OMPALAN will not sing the praise of any governor that tamper with 13% derivation funds. That money is meant for host communities, even the little they map out for them they still tamper with it.
Your advice to Ndigbo?
Everybody should run to God. God is the right place to go. Look at the way Nigeria has been messed up.
