Red Cross in Nigeria deserves subvention------Red Cross boss

He looks unassuming by every standard and unless you are close to him, you may not know his worth; yet the last thing in his life was to blow his trumpets even though he has them abundantly. Gentle in speaking and resounding in his character are the charms with which he is going to lead the Nigerian Red Cross Society, Oshodi/Isolo Local Government Area in the next four years. Sir Prince Chris Ifebi, a businessman, philanthropist, a social worker, a community, and a Church leader was elected the new chairman on November 1, 2014 after an election to captain the Red Cross. In this interview with Emeka Ibemere, he unveils his plan of action and beckon on various state and federal governments to help fund the Red Cross Society in Nigeria, because of the precarious situations the country has found itself with Boko Haram.

 As the new Chairman of the Nigerian Red Cross Society Oshodi/Isolo Division you know that the Division is a very big one most especially when it comes the detachments under it, how do you intend to coordinate them.

To your question, as I will always say that whatever has a beginning must has an end and Oshodi/Isolo division as you noticed it is a very big Division in Nigerian Red Cross and the task ahead to me is mild because in the sense that the journey ahead is God’s task and not mine. So with God on His throne all things are possible. The only thing I can add to that is that we have to land from other people’s mistake and also improve from other people’s success.

So, I pray to God that as in the days of Jonah, God prepared him to Nineveh to go and deliver message to them, but he refused and you know what happened to Jonah. So, this journey is Lords Journey for God has prepared me for the task to lead Oshodi/Isolo Division and he will do it and success will be my portion.

Red Cross in Nigeria is not being giving attention by both the States and Federal Government in terms of funding and logistics, what do you think is the cost.

I thank God because some days back, I listened to the Secretary of the Lagos State Chapter of the Red Cross and he was pleading to the Federal government to allocate our N480million to assist the Society. We are in a war era in Nigeria; there is no two ways about it. We are in a war time here, this is the time Red Cross will come out, this is the time we have to show that we are Red Cross, this is the time for us to bear the Cross, we have cried out to the governments to come to our aids, yes, the governments are not paying attention to the Red Cross, because perhaps, there were no wars but now we are in a war time, Boko Haram, militants, terrorism and others.  Look at the refugees, who takes care of them-Red Cross, look at the internally displaced persons, who takes care of them- Red Cross, abandoned children, victims of ethnic clashes and the rest of them. Although, you have National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, but our work is enormous. But as I said, let’s wait and see especially now that we have cried out to the government. We are Para-military organisation and there are required subventions for such groups and that is what we are asking the governments at all levels to do. But let’s wait to see what they will do. And I believe that the federal government will do something.

Going through your numerous awards that hang here, they are about 46 in number and all are on humanitarian services. How and when did you begin this type of service or was that the reason why they elected you as the Chairman of the Red Cross in Oshodi Division.  

It started at the age of eight years, as I always tell people. I had covenant with God at the age of eight, when I begin to carry other people’s burden, so when I grow to my youth age and before I got married, and even now that I’m married, I have not stopped humanitarian service to God and humanity. It started when God wanted to bless me and He appeared to me and said, ‘my son if I bless you what are you going to do with the resources I’m going to give you’. And I replied and said; ‘my God I want to provide for the needy. It isn’t something that I just woke up one day and started doing it. I had a covenant with God. You are saying 46; there are other 12 ones upstairs. They are there, from the church, from schools communities and societies and associations, so they are there.

What gives you joy as a Red Cross member.

What gives me joy is when I’m getting to the heat of that covenant I had with God, you see, I have been doing it without announcing it, I have been getting all these recognitions without knowing it, but it came to me when we were preparing for our Red Cross’ election towards contesting for the chairmanship that I knew that God and people were being interested to the services I have been rendering. I had wanted to pull out of the election but God asked me to go and contest, to go and show what you can do for them and I went and by the time the election was over, I won the election. So what gives me joy is that I have answered that call from God; that covenant to serve humanity through God is my joy. And the Lord who has told me to go and serve and led cannot sent me and leave me empty handed. Like the days of Moses and Joshua, you know when Moses was leading Israelites, God said speak and he hits and what happens. So each time I’m there I said God put words in my mouth so that when I speak, people will listen, when I led, they will follow me and the little drop of water I dropped for the needy, let it quench their tasty.

As an international businessman when will you have time to coordinate your business and the job of Red Cross and considering the military approach of the jobs of the Red Cross organisation, pipeline explosion, building collapse, and other disaster how would you manage your business with your job as Red Cross boss in Oshodi/Isolo.

I want to start with business, and I want to tell you that business is my hubby and not my passion. My passion is the Lord that is the thing. And as the Lord leads and as far as Oshodi/Isolo is concerned there will be no calamity in my regime in Oshodi/Isolo. There will never be any disaster of any kind, as long as God lived.   And we are talking about time, who owns the time. we don’t own the time, its the Lord that owns the time and that is why the Lord is called the omnipotent, omniscience and omnipresent God, so we don’t own the time, you don’t own your time, I don’t own my time, my time is owned by the Lord, he directs it. So, my reign will be peaceful and there will be no calamity and even if there are, God knows how to handle it. Yes, I might be away for weeks, and during my absence, I tell you there will be peace, so there is no fear about that. The Lord, who told me to go and lead, will surely be there for me to lead the Red Cross in this Division.

What is your plan of action to steer the ship as the chairman.

We have mapped out our strategy. We have a proposal or guideline on how to kick-off. We are looking at having quarterly assignments per detachments which will be every on three-month, each.  With my executives, we will lay down our plans to each detachment and tell them to give us their plan of action for each quarter and from there we will harmonise it together and put it right and wait for the execution. After each quarters, they will give us their scorecards for that quarter before we move to the next quarter, so by the special grace of God, by next year, I will tour all the 15 detachments under my division and from there, we will know their needs and logistics and can then empower them.

It looks as if the volunteers or members of the Red Cross are diminishing and this border on recruitment drive. How are you going to attract people to join Red Cross?

Sensitisation and creating awareness is the key. Like today at Oshodi Open Division, they are on ‘Walk for Life’ campaign, creating awareness and on 11 December, the School council will do Christmas party for all the children at Mafoluku Oshodi, then by the special grace of God I will be there to recruit junior Red Cross, people who will take over from us, and we are aging and so, we need to breed future generation of Red Cross members, so my concern is to prepare myself today for tomorrow, so that is what I ‘m starting by January, preparing today for our tomorrow.

How are you going to carry out synergy with other agencies like the police, NEMA, Road Safety, Army and other pare-military organisations in Lagos State for effective relationship?

If look at the awards, you will see the ones from Road Safety when I was the Coordinator Social Marshall , Lagos State for two good years and my tenure just ended, so its humanitarian service, its about joy to serve humanity and it gives me joy to drop to the needy. So, for those agencies, it’s not going to be difficult bringing them on board. When I was at the Road Safety, I worked with them and other corporate entities. During my era, I help sponsored some of the ‘EMBER MONTHS’ of the Road Safety with Corporate bodies, so the synergy is already working, it won’t be a difficult thing. We are going to work together for God and humanity.

What is the way forward for Red Cross in Lagos State and how do you bring government into it?

Yes, we need to cry and that is why we need you media to help us reach to governments and when they hear our petitions, they will listen to us, so I believe that when God puts words in our mouth to speak to the right person, the person will hearken to our needs at the right time.

During disasters like oil pipeline explosions, building collapse, flood rage, plane crashes and so on we discover that your division lacks logistics and equipment, vehicles, and ambulances  to confront these challenges, how are you going to improve on these necessary materials that are lacking.

As far as Oshodi /Isolo is concerned, its a developing area and some parts have developed but we don’t have much government presence this area or federal ones, then being prone to disaster, its over populated like other areas in Alimosho Local Government Area, but I know that government is trying to do one or two things this areas and I believe that at the right time, government will listen to us. By the special grace of God Oshodi/Isolo will be a pace setter division for other Red Cross branches in Lagos State. We are going to map out our plans beginning with our new office at Isolo Local Government Area Headquarters, after Aswani and the moment the papers are signed, we will furnish the office.

How would you want people to remember you after your four years as chairman of Oshodi/Isolo Red Cross Society? 

I want to put my foot on the sands of time. I want to leave a Legacy, legacy and legacy. Let people judge me by what I have done. I want and pray that people will remember me for positive things and not on the negative side.