Conference won't stop Nigeria's break-up - Bishop

Retired Bishop of the Church of Nigeria
(Anglican Communion), Lagos-West Diocese,
Rt. Rev. Peter Adebiyi, has faulted those who
do not want the proposed national
conference to lead to Nigeria's break-up.
He said there are several indications that the
nationalities in the country are living
together under duress. He said this was
evident in the high level of religious
intolerance being experienced, which was
reflected in politics.
Adebiyi, who spoke on the state of the nation
in Lagos on Saturday, said it would be
suicidal for him to walk in some places in
the North in his robe without being attacked
for being a Christian.
He noted that such would not occur, if he
goes to the North as a foreigner. He said if
he was killed as a foreigner from
Yorubaland, there would be diplomatic row
but if he was killed as a Nigerian, only his
family would bear the loss.
He identified the born-to-rule mentality of
some northerners as one of the causes of the
crises in the country. "An average
northerner believes that he was born to rule
Nigeria and that is the essence of the
conference we are talking about," he said.
Adebiyi said, "Sometime, when I see people
speak about one Nigeria, I remain silent
because I know that Nigeria is not one. We
have an agglomeration of nations in Nigeria.
I will only go to where I'll be tolerated.
"It is only those who are after money; those
who are selfish that say we are a country.
How do I call where I'm not wanted my
own? Everything is a deceit; Nigeria is a
country of great deceit.
"It is time for every one of us, if this
conference is real, to say that 'this is what we
want.' If we cannot live together, why can't I
go home? What is wrong, if I say I'm going
home?"
The retired bishop blamed the failures of the
countries anti-graft agencies on lack of
political will by the government. He said
they were driven politically.
He stated that it would be difficult for the
head of an anti-graft agency appointed by
the President to investigate the President, if
indicted.
The bishop said, "I was a member of the
Code of Conduct Bureau at its inception in
1988; eleven of us were members. I was
there for 20 years until few years ago. I
cannot say what my eyes saw. At a point, the
bureau became a god that cannot bite
because the setup was good but the operating
value was bad."