Why we celebrate Auchi Day – Otaru of Auchi
His Royal Highness, Alhaji Haliru Momoh, the 10th Otaru of Auchi Kingdom, is the vice chairman of the Edo State Traditional Council. In this interview, he spoke on why there is crisis in the country and why his subjects celebrate God. He also spoke on oth
There is peaceful coexistence among Christians and Muslims in Auchi despite the fact that 90 per cent of the people are Muslims. What is the secret?
I don’t know. But all I can tell you is that Muslims, Christians and adherents of traditional religion are creatures of the Almighty God. Who said we should love one another. In this kingdom we love strangers even more than we love ourselves, which is the key to development. We stand by that and it is working for us.
It is God that chooses leaders. Why is it that today, people use their power and influence to do injustice and perpetrate corruption? That is why we have problems in Nigeria. That is why we are suffering from the menace of Boko Haram, Niger Delta Avengers and other militant groups. We have also seen that the money that would have been used to build schools, hospitals, industries, construct roads and do other projects went into private pockets. Our economy is being destroyed as we are plunged into recession. These are signs that God is punishing us and telling us that we are doing the wrong thing.
The two industries in Auchi - a fertilizer plant and a textile company - are moribund. As the paramount ruler of the kingdom, what effort are you making to revive them?
During the administration of former Governor Lucky Igbinadion, I wrote, requesting that the community be allowed to take over the textile factory. He replied favourably. He told the concerned ministry to look into the matter and submit a report. They stated in their report that the factory had the potential to grow and the capacity to employ a lot of people, hence it should be privatised instead of leaving it moribund. But you know how government drags its feet over issues. Unfortunately, the place is still moribund.
The wife of the acting rector of the Auchi Polytechnic, who is a Russian and an expert in textile, was ready to manage the industry if we got the nod of the state government, but it didn’t come to fruition. Again, we wrote to former Governor Adams Oshiomhole, but he didn’t have time to attend to industries. He said plainly that his focus was on infrastructural development, health and education. We appreciate what he did in those sectors. I believe in destiny because everything that happens is as a result of destiny.
On Auchi Day you usually trek round the community with your subjects; why?
We only recite La ilaha illal lahu (God is one) as we walked round the community. When banks and medical doctors in our place said they wanted to leave the community because of kidnapping, I took my people round, reciting La ilaha illal lahu and told them to go back to work. Since then, there has not been kidnapping in Auchi. We believe that God accepted what we did, that’s why I led my people on the same prayer this year. If you have faith in Allah he would love you and ask the angels and human beings to also love you.
What is the significance of the Auchi Day celebration?
Before my enthronement, I requested my immediate predecessor to declare a day of culture extravaganza for Auchi people. He agreed, but was not able to start it. So when I came in I introduced Auchi Day for people to showcase their culture in order to preserve it. People from Edo North - Uzairue, Okpella, Ekperi and other communities were in attendance. But that changed in 2009 because we introduced Qur’anic competition, the first to be held outside the Edo State capital in its 23 years of existence. That was how we started the culture of celebrating God. We know that some of our cultures do not actually portray the Almighty Allah. It was the Quranic recitation competition that gave us divine inspiration to now celebrate God. So from 2010 we started celebrating God instead of culture.
You have been on the throne for over 20 years; what has been your experience?
My experience as a traditional ruler is that I believe in the destiny Allah has set out for me. When I reminiscence over my entire life, I find out that it has been controlled and guided by the Almighty Allah. If you work hard in the name of God and do it selflessly, the people who recognise God will recognise you. It is on that basis that you are blessed, not because you go to church or mosque and someone prayed for you. What would you say you have missed as we wrote to former Governor Adams Oshiomhole, but he didn’t have time to attend to industries. He said plainly that his focus was on infrastructural development, health and education. We appreciate what he did in those sectors. I believe in destiny because everything that happens is as a result of destiny
a traditional ruler?
I have not missed anything because God has always guided me in everything I do, through inspiration. The essence of life is to worship God. Once you imbibe that and consciously do it, he will promote you in faith and you will see the light in whatever you do.
Traditional rulers are clamouring for constitutional roles in the country. What is your take on this?
I don’t think that will alter the role we are already playing as traditional rulers. However, that recognition is perhaps necessary because we are working in a world of confusion and corruption. Most times a government would come and promote a law that is totally against God, such as the issue of inheritance. Inheritance has been in the Qur’an since it was revealed for human beings by God. It is God’s word and nobody can alter, violate or appraise it. Everything about inheritance is in chapter 4, from Verse 1 to 12. You can only alter it to your destruction. And that would add to what is already happening in the country today.
During the Auchi Day celebration, you said you would lead jihad against the National Assembly if they passed the bill on inheritance. Don’t you think they are carrying out their constitutional responsibility?
They don’t have the constitutional responsibility and right to alter anything in the Qur’an because it is a law given to mankind. It states who is qualified for inheritance and who is not, as well as how it should be shared among those that are qualified. They can’t come with the constitution or whatever rubbish to violate God’s commandment. They can violate it to their detriment. Anybody who does something contrary to the Qur’an would be punished, whether an individual, group or nation.
What is your take on the lawmakers rejection of President Buhari £29billion infrastructure loan?
Some things happen in life, and when we sit down to analyse them, we won’t know where they come from. Let me say that the devaluation of the naira shouldn’t have taken place. Those who advocated the devaluation of the naira and plunged the country into recession also said the solution was to sell our national assets for peanuts.
Your assets are your goodwill and the bridge between total destruction and survival. This is because you use them as collateral to get loans. When you sell your assets, they are gone; the buyers will vandalise them piecemeal and take to their countries. When Abacha asked Chinese investors to take over the Nigerian railway for three years, they cannibalised everything and exported abroad. By the time the three years elapsed, the railway was gone.
What is your assessment of President Buhari’s anti-corruption fight?
The fight against corruption is to liberate and reposition Nigeria, so anybody who is against it is against himself. God doesn’t like corruption, and he said he would punish corrupt people in no small way. It is because of corruption that we have recession as a punishment. The economy was destroyed and the man who would revive it is Buhari. He was appointed by God, so whoever wants to destroy him would be gone. He must accomplish what God asked him to accomplish for Nigeria, and nobody can stop him. So watch him for another year, he will do it. God will destroy the National Assembly if they are against him. We don’t need the National Assembly to survive. If you don’t have people with God’s guidance, the country will not survive.