While I agree and respect
Peter Obi’s views on governance recently at the Platform, most
especially because he has been a part of the system, I would like to
categorically state that we do not need him to tell us of the waste in
the system; because if that should be the case, then we all need to go
back to school.
For instance, Presidential lodges at least, are
buildings which could be put to other productive uses. But stolen money
stashed away in foreign banks and real estate, do you need anyone to
explain that racket to you?
$27 billion disappeared under IBB.
More billions disappeared under Abdulsalami. $20 billion under GEJ, and
many more billions of dollars under OBJ. Do you need lectures?
In
the case of budget padding under the National Assembly, are you
defending Saraki against Jibrin? Do you need lectures on your
victim-hood?
The Kuti family fought impunity and stealing in
government, to the point that their matriarch was thrown down from the
heights and broke her neck. What did we do?
Fela sang about ITT (International Thief Thief) and BONN. He was called an “Amugbo” that must be ostracized!
Gani
Fawehinmi pointed out waste in government, fought impunity, went to
jail on our behalf, came out and found a political party. Yet we failed
to give his party even one Local Government in the election!
However,
my major concern (which is the reason for this write-up) is that while
Peter Obi was busy talking about the corruption, wastage and excesses in
government, there was no mention of the excesses, wastages, corruption,
and extreme malpractices in the church, perpetrated by some of the very
pastors that also spoke at that forum.
The church itself should
be the first port of call on this matter because we are the custodians
of the laws of God. In fact, the problem of the State is a reflection of
the church, of which we servants of God are largely to be blamed. The
following illustrations will explain further.
All ‘Christian’
politicians are members of one church or the other and regularly visit
these places for pastoral consultation and approval. If the church had
played its spiritual role properly, instead of practising spiritual 419,
these politicians would have a different mindset today. Rather than
counsel them according to the word of God which is clearly against any
and every form of corruption, servants of God under the spiritual 419,
prayed for them instead and encouraged them to continue with their
corrupt ways, with an unwritten understanding that they would come back
to show ‘appreciation’ to them (them being the servants of God).
The
so called servants of God are rather the ones now struggling to get
into self-serving relationships with these criminals parading as
politicians and government officials, all in the bid to get money from
them and have connections to big men in power. It is very sad and
disturbing that servants of God have turned themselves into attention
seekers, living large at the expense of their exploited members and
political patrons.
Is it not shameful that these top pastors
have all turned spiritual coaches for the politicians, senior government
officials, heads of parastatals, etc?
There was a time when true
servants of God ‘stayed’ in their churches and were not seen visiting
or gallivanting across the globe with people who everyone knew to be
corrupt. There was a time that it was the so called powerful people who
would run after the servants of God, not like some of the servants of
God today, who go out of their way, to be associated with openly corrupt
people; the more corrupt they are, the richer they are and the more the
servants of God want to be associated with them.
Consider what
happened during the Sanusi purge of defaulting Nigerian banks a few
years ago; we all remember the alleged involvement of some of the top
directors of some of the now defunct banks (several of whom were also
functional leaders of a mega church and very close to its head) with
massive fraud and falsification. Where was Jesus in all their spurious
dealings even while under the spiritual guidance of their renowned
church leader?
The Bible says that God’s judgment will start from
the Church and the altar, so why should we not address our matter even
before addressing the politicians, government officials and the general
ills of the nation?
Peter Obi lived a simple and disciplined life as a governor while the present day pastors live exalted lives.
A
church founder, general overseer, president, etc, now needs armed
bodyguards around him, even to take a walk within a secure housing
estate! How many of them would have attended that same function (where
Peter Obi spoke) in their exotic cars with their convoy of escorts, army
of protocol officers and armed security details? How would they have
felt when he spoke about wastage? Did they feel guilty or sad for
themselves?
What is the image a servant of God is trying to
project when he has armed security personnel positioned around the altar
while he is preaching? How does he expect his congregation to feel? How
does he expect people to see him and what does he want them to think?
How does he expect Jesus, who he is preaching about, to see him? The
same Jesus who went about on foot, looking and dressing like his
disciples? The same Jesus who sat amongst the people and walked through
the crowd, not minding who would touch Him?
Servants of
God who have policemen protecting them really need to think. Do they
stop to think of how those same policemen think of them? Do they really
see them as real servants of God or just people parading themselves
around exploiting money in the name of God and church? Is it because
these policemen just collect their money and say nothing? Are we as
servants of God, not the last set of people that should be seen with
police protection? Do
Today, to see the head of a church,
requires one to go through some major protocol - fill forms, meet with a
series of junior pastors and if they are lucky, they can ‘qualify’ to
eventually meet with the head of their church. This process can take
months and in some cases over a year.
How can a member of a
church say that they have to wait for months to be able to see the head
of their church – who is living a lavish and ostentatious life as a
result of the offerings, contributions, etc, of that same member?
Rather
than influencing the world and effecting positive changes in society,
the church today has allowed the world to influence it, as worldly ideas
and ways have now become part of the church.
We were all
witnesses to the low moral level sunk by the then CAN President, while
Goodluck Jonathan was still the nation’s president - to the point that
his private jet was involved in illegal arms dealing!
A CAN President?
A
lot of us would have felt disgusted and ashamed at the spiritual 419
displayed when a retinue of servants of God, led by the same CAN
president and then president Jonathan went on pilgrimage to Israel,
crying and wailing that, “we have sinned…we have sinned Lord…forgive
us…forgive us”! Meanwhile, they are busy planning on how to scheme more
money, favours, contracts and even oil wells from the government.
Are
we so spiritually ignorant that we don’t consult the Bible anymore? Why
are the spiritual leaders fooling the people and the congregation?
Until
the Church gets back to its original role, which is to maintain the
spiritual and moral uprightness of the nation, there is no hope for this
nation.
The change must start with the Church. The present era
of private jets and bullet-proof cars for men of God, unreasonably sized
travelling entourages, accommodation in the most expensive hotels and
‘presidential’ lodges, endless extortion of members in the guise of
financial ‘partnerships’ must all come to an end!
Government must
put an immediate stop to the use of policemen by servants of God and
other private individuals! It is not only an abuse of the police, but
also sending the wrong impression to society.
A number of years
ago, I was invited to a meeting or conference of servants of God and
decided to attend. After driving into the premises where the conference
was being held, I came out of my car and noticed some vehicles speeding
and recklessly driving into the premises. I saw some men who looked like
thugs in a bus, a couple of other cars and a vehicle with siren. They
even almost ran over my leg. I then saw one servant of God come out of
one of the cars; all these for just one man! In the same conference, I
saw servants of God reveling in their various titles, bishop,
archbishop, apostle, etc. I think I was the only one with the title of
‘pastor’, to which some of them that had known me asked why I was still
‘stuck’ with that title and wondered why I had not upgraded. That was
the last time I attended such meeting!
I too know what I can
say to people and to my congregation if I want to exploit them for
money, but I cannot even consider doing such, knowing full well that it
is wrong and that is not the errand or assignment that God sent me on!
Churches
and servants of God today, are all about money and how much they can
get from people. They have marketers, who can teach some of the
marketers in our banks a thing or two about aggressive marketing.
Servants of God today are not only all about preaching prosperity
messages, but are also in the business of selling anointed water,
anointed oil, anointed handkerchiefs, etc, all in the name of getting as
much money as possible from people. Church goers and other victims need
to check their bible, to search if Jesus ever sold any healings,
miracles or blessings – he did not!
How could the church keep demanding endless financial contributions from members most of whom are living in abject poverty?
The
word of God, God’s expectations of us, morals and good righteous
living, are no longer emphasized in churches. The church is now no
different from entertainment clubs where performing artists and
comedians perform regularly in the church’s bid to retain their members.
You see church billboards advertising upcoming Sunday services,
promising people that a popular comedian or performing artist will be
performing in that service.
Is it any wonder then that carnality, rather than spirituality, is now openly advertised in these venues?
The
priority of the church leaders should not be the same as the world or
its politicians. This is why power has left the church. One wonders what
the fate of the church will be in the coming years at this rate of
decadence. What church will Jesus come to meet when He returns? A church
which cares not how money is made and brought to its altar? A church
which has no more place for the poor man?
Unfortunately
today, when a rich man informs the servant of God that he is no longer
coming to church, the servant of God will not be able to sleep or eat
and can even going into fasting. Whereas, if a poor man does the makes a
similar decision, the same servant of God will not even think twice
about it.
What a shame!
Peter Obi spoke positively
about the schools which have been returned to the old missions. What are
the Pentecostal churches presently doing with their own schools? The
fees of these Pentecostal schools, set up entirely from proceeds of the
unending contributions of members, are now beyond the members’ financial
reach, such that the same politicians openly patronized by the church
leaders are the ones whose children attend the church schools.
What a shame!
The
church, more than the government and certainly much more than private
businesses, should be in a position to offer free books and decent
classrooms to their students, including members and non members,
regardless of religion and social status.
Some people reading
this may think that I am jealous of some of these servants of God, but
that is not the case, as I can easily afford everything that they lust
for. I rather choose to use money for more constructive things that will
positively affect individual lives and society in general.
If my
own church (as small as it is) can do this, then I see no reason why
other churches, especially the big ones, cannot do at least the same.
Since 2011, we have operated a school which not only offers absolutely
free education, with free books and stationary, but also in an
environment that is conducive, with air conditioned classrooms, a
dedicated generator, etc. It is not just a makeshift school, but one
with well-paid, qualified teachers and a high standard, as we use the
same books as Corona Schools. We currently have over one hundred
children, with a number of them coming from the Motherless Babies Home
(who are supposed to be cared for by the State government) and other
churches.
The church should give back to the society, instead
of trying so hard to make money from everything it gets involved in.
Where is Jesus in all of this?
Until these problems are
addressed, there is no hope for the nation since the church is made up
of the citizens. Our leaders are a product of the society, and society
is the product of the church, simply put.
Christ says in the
Bible, that on that day many people (pastors, evangelists, deacons,
born-again Christians, etc) will say that they did great things for the
gospel of the Lord. He will however say to them; “I know you not”!
This might be the fate of many of our church pastors now wearing diamond to the pulpit.
Churches
now believe that projecting success in their environment amounts to
being right before God, and the pastors’ wives going on overseas
shopping sprees (at the expense of hapless members) signifies God’s
showers of prosperity.
It is so bad that a very senior female
pastor of a mega church once claimed to her congregation that her
dressing in diamond encrusted cloths and other expensive jewelry during
all her church appearances, was ‘in their interest’. Every one attending
the church for the first time, according to her, would not fail to be
impressed by the ‘blessings of God’ upon the church, as symbolized by
the pastor’s appearance.
No wonder that these pastors have
become nothing more than ‘Motivational Speakers’ who have taken detailed
lessons in the art of public speaking.
Therefore, for every
believer who has listened to Peter Obi, they should also examine the
church and consider their respective pastor’s way of life in light of
Peter Obi’s standards.
They need to study their bibles and ask
themselves if the church (their servant of God) is operating in
accordance to what they see in their bibles.
They need to ask themselves if their church is effectively helping those who really need help in the society.
They
need to ensure that their churches positively influence members in the
society, so that our future leaders will be God fearing and will desire
to govern as God intends them to govern.
As I write this, let the Holy Spirit and my congregation judge me!
Pastor Seyi Ogunorunyinka
(PLRM)