A
former Chaplain of the Presidential Villa at Aso Rock and General
Overseer of All Christians Fellowship Mission, Maitama, Abuja, Rev.
Williams Okoye, has admonished the political class in Nigeria to model
their lives after values left behind by Jesus Christ; and South African
ex-President, Nelson Mandela, in order to achieve the change being
canvassed by Nigerians.
Okoye also berated the political class,
describing them as “lacking in values and under-developing the nation in
different facets of life.”
The Cleric, in his Christmas Day sermon
on Wednesday, in Abuja, entitled: “Values modelled by Christ” said moral
values, when inculcated in the citizenry, would bring about a
corrupt-free and a just society for all.
He said, “Most of these politicians do
not get it when you talk of values, they think you are talking of
infrastructural development, which greed will hardly allow them to do;
moral values or transformation is the one only thing true Christians can
give.
“Our politicians cannot give what they
do not have, I think the church need to do a more serious work because
most of these politicians attend churches and they go to Mosques to
pray; even in the Mosques, there are moral values, there are ethical
teachings instead of engaging in all kind of frivolous teachings we are
doing, whether in churches or mosques.
“Let’s go back to character-building
teachings from our religious books so that we can develop men and women
of character who will change our Nation.”
The cleric also made reference to the
development in China, saying that although China was not too religious
“but because they adhere to these values they are developed and they are
almost overtaking America.”
Okoye said, “In the 60s, I am told that
we were ahead of China and Singapore and other nations; what has kept us
behind is our distorted sense of values and misplaced priorities.
“So the church has to take the bull by
the horn, we cannot expect politicians to do that, they do not have it;
the church is the conscience of the nation, if we go back to sound
biblical teachings and values we would be able to help politicians who
attend our churches to change”.
He said the outpouring of tributes for
the late Nelson Mandela by world leaders during his burial rites was as a
result of the values he lived for, particularly his forgiving heart
after the apartheid struggles.
According to Okoye, both Jesus Christ,
on whom the Christmas celebration is anchored; Mandela lived a selfless
Christian life worthy of emulation by all and sundry.
Speaking on the proposed national
conference by the Federal Government, he said the Christian community
would push for social justice when the conference kicks off.
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