Ex-Villa Chaplain asks politicians to emulate Christ, Mandela

General Overseer, All Christians Fellowship Mission, Rev. Williams Okoye

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.