FROM THE PREACHER'S LENSES

Friday, January 31, 2025
[email protected]
Lagos, Nigeria
IN ORDER TO HAVE PEOPLE OF INTEGRITY IN NIGERIA POLITICS

am sad each time I see elderly people who have paid their dues while serving this nation in their younger days but now living in squalor. They were people of substance while in the service of this country. Many reached the peak of their carrier but now walking the streets or mounting Okada or Maruwa to reach their destinations because they can no longer maintain their automobiles. This is outrageous and unacceptable.

Not too long ago when people could no longer afford cow meat, they resorted to the use of egg. Now, egg has become the menu of the rich people.

In my city, taxis are off the streets because the charges paid by commuters are not able to meet the cost of petrol talk less of maintaining the vehicle.

Hunger is palpable in the faces of millions of people. Many have become mere skeletons.

Many businesses have collapsed.

Many marriages have either broken or are in distress.

There is transfer aggression to each other in the home. Children no longer respect parents when their needs are not met.

Life of majority have become hopeless.

We are a nation in serious reproach.

A world leader has called Nigeria "Shithole" Did he lie? A nation so wealthy but, which her people are living in squalor. A nation, which the majority of her citizens go to bed in hunger while their leaders have mansions all over the globe and possess luxurious aircrafts.

The only people that are floating above the storm are the Politicians, their family members, their surrogates and people who have amassed wealth while in service. Others are those who have relations Diaspora and Our big religious leaders on both sides of the isles.

Why and how is this so? Is it that the nation is poor? Not in the least. I am not in a position to know how big the wealth of the nation is but going by the humongous amount of money, which officials are daily accused of pilfering, no one will be in the doubt that Nigeria is extremely wealthy except that the people who have access to the Government purse, have sold their humanity and conscience to Satan and they loot it with impunity.

But shall we just be grumbling and fold our hands and watch, as the country fails?

Is God happy with the ongoing? God cannot.

Is there nothing we can do? Of course there is.

The solution is to put people who are godly into power just as the Bible says in proverbs 29:2 "When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice but when the wicked are in power, they groan" as we are doing now. The Bible is the word of God. Its wisdom cannot be disputed nor ignored except the people who want to be destroyed.

So, the solution to the plague of this country is to have in power, people who love the reproach of this nation to flee us, people who want a return of the glory of Nigeria.

Civil servants are the courier of all the theft and looting of the commonwealth but once the people of dignity, who have zero tolerance for corruption, get into power, all the pranks of the Civil servants will no longer be possible. The body language of the Godly government will make them to shiver and they will have no choice than to behave correctly.

And do we have people of integrity who can shape things? Of course, we do and not in small numbers. The big problem however is how to get them into power? And for this to happen is in the hands of the suffering masses and those who love Nigeria in all sincerity.

So, the topic of my sermon today is "In order to Have People of Integrity in Nigeria Politics.

Let us pray as Prof. Dn. Kayode leads us.

Of course, we should not expect that the people who are benefitting from the prevalent corruption to go with us and will not oppose and wage war against the campaign of reform.

The solution is in our hands only if we will have a change of mindset and all to turn godly.

Because with the way we are playing politics in Nigeria as of today, the only group of people who will vie for posts are those who are prepared to give out large amount of money and other gifts to people, right from the Wards, Town or city, Local Government, state, Senatorial and so on and so forth with the aim of not only to recoup the money expended during their campaign but take over the treasury after they got into power.

But for someone who after getting into power has no intention of stealing from the commonwealth, it is almost impossible for him to use his hard-earned money for any political campaign, the kind of spending spree manner, which Nigerian Politicians of today do.

Therefore, in order to have Godly, righteous, credible people to contest election, is if we can get a set of people who will mobilize the nation so that citizens will not demand for money or any incentives to influence their voting right and not only that but to shun the gifts and incentives when offered.

And which set of people can do this? Listen to this story.

The nation known as Israel today was at the beginning ruled by Theocracy. By Theocracy, we mean a government ruled by men who claim authority from God. So, the commonwealth of Israel was ruled by Priests.

Prophet Samuel attained this position and at his old age, the people made a request to him that they no longer wanted to be governed by Priests but kings in order to conform with the other neighboring nations. (1Sam. 8:1-5). So they started to have a monarchy system of government. But that did not imply that the man of God, Samuel was no longer relevant in government.

It was Prophet Samuel who sought the face of God for an appropriate leader, who will fulfill their aspirations. This is where the role of the men of God starts i.e. seeking the face of God for the election of leaders who will meet the aspirations of the citizens. May I add that after king Saul failed God, it is the same Prophet Samuel who announced to him (Saul) that God was taking the kingdom from him and will be given to someone better than him (1Sam. 15: 28). That is how big the responsibility, which God placed on Religious leaders is. The Spiritual leaders are the intermediary between God and the nation.

Let us see further how it worked.

Same Prophet Samuel anointed David who succeeded king Saul. Do we see again the role of Priests? But when David erred, Prophet Nathan was not afraid to confront him (2Sam. 12). Religious leaders should do what God expects of them for the good of the nation. But they will not be able to do it if they are in the habit of taking gifts from the politicians. King David was guided by another prophet by the name Gad.

That wicked king, Ahab with his wife, Jezebel had Prophet Elijah who did not spare him but constantly warned him of his evil reign. The prophet Elijah even commanded drought, which lasted for three and half years with the hope that it was going to bring the king to his knees in repentance (1king 17-19).

Prophet Elisha checked Kings Jehoshaphat & Jehu.

The great prophet Isaiah checked Kings Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah and Manesseh in that order of succession.

Prophet Jeremiah warned relentlessly kings Eliakim (Jehoiakim), Jehoiachin and Zedekiah in that order of succession until God gave Judah to king Nebuchadnezzer of Babylon who took them captives and exiled them to Babylon in 605BC, 597BC & 586BC respectively in what is described as the worst catastrophe that befell the Jews in the Old Testament history (2Kings 24,25; 2Chr.36; Jer. 37).

These checks and balances continued till the appearance of Christ on the scene, if we recollect how John the Baptist confronted king Herod after he unlawfully took his brother's wife while the brother still lived.

So, the way it is, is that some people will choose politics as vocation. But God plans it that the custodians of Spiritual matters, who seek the face of God, day and night, who loves the prosperity of the nation and wants the journey of the citizens to heaven be smooth, will guide, counsel and check the politicians for the good of the citizens.

Some high profile Priests said that how the government is run is not their calling. What a height of lack of understanding!!. Yes, they are occupied in encouraging people to God, but if the environment in which they live is hot as it is today in Nigeria, will their followers not dip their hands into sin in order to float above the hardship? And what will be the end result after they died? Of course Hell. And I want to be informed of any prophet of God in the Bible who did not involve himself in how the government of their different days were run.

I had preached a sermon titled "Following the Footsteps of Jesus" and I had pointed out, how it was prophesied hundreds of years before He came that He was coming for the liberation of the down trodden (Isaiah 61:1; Lk 4:18). And this was exactly what he did while on earth. He did not spare the Political leaders of His days. He pronounced woes on them (Matt.23:13) and at His departure, he asked His disciples and all those who will come to Him to continue with His work (John 14:12). But are we His disciples today obeying Him?

However, for the Religious leaders to effectively achieve success, among the qualities or characteristics required of them is that they must not be given to filthy lucre i. e. they must not be greedy for money as we read in 1Tim. 3:3 and Titus 1:7. This implies that they must be contended to live a simple life. They must forgo any lifestyle that can encourage other people to pursue a high lifestyle, which eventually will lead them to do all kinds of ungodliness in order to be rich.

Priesthood job, whether Christianity or Islam and love of money do not go together if the Priest or Imam should be effective in his calling.

So Spiritual leaders must shun ostentatious life and be examples of modest living. This will allow them to perform their God given role as demanded by God in the building of the nation.

With how things have degenerated today in Nigeria, where almost every infrastructures are collapsing very fast, with hunger and poverty staring many citizens in the face, in spite of the heavy revenue coming the way of the nation, I cannot understand how the spirits of all Religious leaders on all sides of the isles are not fired up to rally together and seek the face of God for a way out.

Spiritual leaders are the ones, who God placed the responsibility on, to shape, repair and model the country. After all we are the ones who meet the people in thousands all mornings, afternoons, nights, every Friday and Sunday. God expects us to use these forums to teach them how to behave righteously so that we can all live in comfort and we all can be partakers of the wealth of the nation, which will smooth our journey to heaven.

Our nation, Nigeria is in the pitiful state where we are today because we have few Elishas and uncountable numbers of Gehaz who all claim to be in the service of God.

General Naaman, in appreciation to the prophet Elisha flaunted to him many expensive gifts; gold, silver, clothes etc but the prophet couldn't be persuaded to accept any. However, his servant Gehaz, went behind his boss, pursued the General and collected equivalent of $4k worth of silver plus other things and the prophet strike the leprosy of Naaman on him.

The spirit of Gehaz has entered and it is ruling the hearts of most people who call themselves "Men of God" on both sides of the isles" The nation is bereft of people who in the past were called "conscience of the nation" The nation is rudderless because people who were dedicated to the progress and pride of the nation are no more.

The nation is bereft of people who should give Godly directive in the running of the affairs of the nation because the love of money has overtaken them. Many actually went into priesthood work because of money.

What can we do now? I call for Nehemiah action.

Nehemiah, when he was Governor of Judah, doubled his role as a spiritual leader. He dealt decisively to end the suffering (hardship) of the common people who were being extorted by their rich ones.

Nehemiah was angry with the rich people. At a public trial, he shouted at them and called their practice by the appropriate name 'evil'. "What you are doing is very evil," he exclaimed. "Should you not walk in the fear of our God? He pleaded with them to stop the business of usury, restore the fields, vineyards, olive yards and homes to their poor owners immediately and drop any claims against them.

I also charge past and present leaders and Civil Servants of Nigeria who have stolen the peoples' money to return it.

Nehemiah invoked a curse of God upon any who refused, saying:

"May God destroy your homes and livelihood if you fail to keep this promise" (5:1-13).

If the Priests on all sides of the isles want poverty to be eradicated in Nigeria; if they want the reproach of Nigeria to be over; if they sincerely want Nigeria to be reckoned with, in the comity of nations, they can do it. First is to do away with our religious differences and work as a team. If we really love God, it is a must to love our nation. King David asked his citizens to pray for the peace of Jerusalem and they that love her shall prosper (Psalm 122:6).

I also admonish the priests on all religious sides of the isles to love Nigeria, pray and work for the rehabilitation of it so that they can prosper.

To rehabilitate Nigeria is easy to achieve. Nigerians are very religious. This is our weapon. We take our religious leaders as second to God. Religious leaders are the ones who meet the people in large numbers. All, which the religious leaders need is agreement to allow the wealth of the nation to spread round.

Politicians weaken the capability of those who can raise their voice over the looting of the commonwealth with their "selective generosity" They spoil dignitaries in the community including the religious leaders and our Traditional rulers with gifts. Once these groups of people take those gifts, they become poisons, which keep them quiet and can no longer raise their voice against their (Politicians) looting of the commonwealth. And if they talk, will the Politicians take them seriously?

So these groups of people must be determined to refuse all the contraptions of the Politicians.

The moment they do this, they can then invoke Nehemiah's action in the Churches, Mosques, Palaces and Town Hall meetings by placing a curse on whoever demand for money or take money or any incentive from office seekers in order to vote for them.

It is only after we successfully do this, that people of integrity can come forward to seek political offices and theft of the commonwealth will stop and the wealth of the nation will go round and the journey of everyone to heaven will become smooth.

Taking of gifts from politicians is condemned by God because it blinds the wise. It corrupts the decisions of the godly" (Ex. 23: 8 ; Deu. 16: 19)

Proverbs 17: 23 reads "A wicked man accepts secrete gifts to pervert justice"

Proverbs 15: 27 says "Dishonest money brings grief to the whole family, but those who hate gifts shall live"

Proverbs 29:4 reads "A just king gives stability to his nation, but one who receives gifts destroys it"

Eccl. 7:7 says " ---Gifts (Bribes) destroys the heart"

Hebrews in 12:16 advises "Let no one be immoral or godless like Esau who traded his birthright for a single meal"

These are words of God and the moment we are able to obey Him, people of integrity will show up in politics

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