At the interdenominational church service held at the
Ecumenical Centre, Abuja, to commemorate the 2012 National Democracy Day, the
guest preacher and immediate past Prelate of the Anglican Church of Nigeria,
Most Reverend Peter Akinola, in his sermon, challenged the congregation to join
him in the fight against corruption in the country by committing perpetrators
to God.
But the congregation, including the President, who was
accompanied by his wife, Patience, the Governor of Bayelsa, Seriake Dickson and
Kaduna, Patrick Yakowa, Deputy Governor of Nasarawa state, Dameshi Luka, as
well as some ministers failed to respond to prayers to take corrupt officials
“to the court of God.” Apparently, expecting to hear a thunderous YES or AMEN
from the congregation, the Reverend, who instead got a deafening silence,
exclaimed: “There you go! Oh, corruption! So, you are not ready to fight it,
because you are all beneficiaries of it. Whether you steal in a small or big
way, stealing is stealing."
It is not by force to say amen dear Rev. Akinola. At least
you should know that some people are not hypocrites on certain matters. The president
and his colleagues were obviously not in the mood to concur to such a prayer
taking their deeds to a court whose verdict is without appeal, where angels cannot
be bought. One wonders how a clergy should expect a gang of the uncorrupt to
possibly assent to a prayer to convict the guilty.
The preacher continued in his damning sermon and must
have made any normal listening person to come hand in face to acknowledge His
maker and seek pardon but not the president who was not in any hurry to hide
his hypocrisy for indeed after the sermon, the president spoke passionately but
not on the issue of corruption. That had been taken care of by the man of God. He
chose to say again what he has always said “Nigeria will not disintegrate,
government is working hard to meet the challenges of modern terror.”
At a time when indifference is fast becoming a growing
burden, it is gladdening to hear that a preacher has found his voice. Nigeria
is one of the most religious countries in the world and currently exports
brands of Christianity and possibly Islam to the rest of the world, yet the
country has at its helm men and women with very flexible consciences. Fear of
persecution, Gehazi’s gifts, intimidation and kick backs have reduced the
pulpit into blessing shops for these power drunk barons that inflict the joy of
poverty on the same congregation that return to the clergy for direction. Were these
pastors as bold and steadfast as Rev. Akinola, these politicians might have
turned a new leaf. Maybe that is daydreaming, but then is God’s word not
supposed to bring conviction and repentance?
On another note, it is wise to assert that there is more
to condoning the political class for their misdeeds. Some religious faithful
opine that God put certain persons in power and that everything they do should
be condoned. Others faithlessly insist that only God can change Nigeria for all
Nigerians are corrupt. Some others are quick to attribute criticism of persons
in government to jealousy and envy.
Religious leaders must put an end to the era of kowtowing
the ruling class and finding all manner of scriptural excuse for such assent or
hypocritical stance to their misrule. One fails to understand how a preacher
should bless a politician today when he is on course to rig an election and
soon after say it was divinely ordained. If Nigeria must get it right,
Nigerians must lead from everywhere and not only the political class is
involved but the pulpit and the pew.
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