Showing posts with label Anthony Cardinal Okogie. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Anthony Cardinal Okogie. Show all posts

Saturday, September 27, 2014

The Problem With Nigeria...


"...Fela sang it, Achebe wrote it, Okogie preached it, Soyinka spoke it. But Nigerians don't care about these old men with their quaint ideas. We like bling, sparkle and whizz. Hence, private jets and funky pastors. The problem with Nigeria is Nigerians. Archbishop [Anthony Cardinal okogie], you have spoken - we have refused to hear. The beat goes on."   ---Man of God

Cardinal Okogie Speaks on Life in Retirement, Nigeria, Church & Politics

Cardinal Okogie
Anthony Cardinal Olubunmi Okogie, former Archbishop of Lagos and first president of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), in this interview with MICHAEL UCHEBUAKU speaks about the politicisation of CAN, involvement of Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor in the $9.3 million cash-for-arm deal, among other issues.
How is life in retirement and what is a typical day like for you now that you are retired?
Well, it is still the same life, except that we do not engage ourselves in too much pastoral work as we used to do when on active duty. On a typical day, I wake up in the morning like any other person. I say my prayers, go for my Mass, then do some exercises and go for a walk because of my leg. Then I take my breakfast and after that I sit down and people start coming to see me. And I will be there sitting in my office until 2 or 3pm listening and answering people’s questions. That is what a typical day looks like.
What are your most memorable moments as Archbishop of Lagos?
Doing my duties gave me the greatest joy. Anytime I am with people, each time I am officiating I know I’m doing what God wants me to do, I derive the greatest joy. But now, it’s not that I’m not doing what God wants me to do, but the concentration is more now on my spiritual life. That time was different from now. That time, even sometimes when I would be saying my prayers, I would feel so tired, then I would say, God I know you understand, I would be trying to justify being tired while saying my prayers. I don’t know how I can justify such a thing before God.