Cleric Tasks Political Leaders on Nation Building

By Mary Ekah

The state chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria, Lagos branch, Apostle Alexander Bamgbola, has called on the nation’s political leaders, especially those at the national level to pause for a moment and take a look at the deplorable state Nigeria has become under their watch.

He noted that, “For many Nigerians, it is a sad story. The question that today’s political class must ask itself is: ‘Are we truly building the Nigerian nation or are we destroying it?’ What kind of Nigeria do we want to hand over to our children?’
Bamgbola who said this during a press conference presided over by members of the association’s State Executive Council to announce it plans for 2018, noted, “I will like to remind every member of today’s political class that no condition is permanent in the life of a man. Death is certain; and everyone came into this world empty and will return empty. It is appointed unto man once to die and then judgment.”

Speaking further, he said, “We are sad about what we see, hear and read of innocent people being killed every now and then, but what can we do than to continue to pray to God to give us peace in the land. So the political leadership should do everything to make sure that we have peace in the land. If we do not have peace, we cannot do anything right. So my personal opinion is that we should continue to pray and continue talking to the leadership to please fear God and rule justly and fairly because when you fear God, you would not be part of evil but if you don’t fear God, you continue to take part in evil.”

Calling on the political class to do every within their power to ensure that they build the nation to a desirable state, the cleric noted, “I will be 72 by February and I have seen this nation from 1960. I came back in 1979 after so many years abroad as an expatriate. I was an expatriate for this nation for six years. I have been mourning every day and I am still mourning. How can we have all the resources and yet cannot build our nation? Go to other nations of the world and see how Nigerians are building those nations. I was part of the builders of America and this is my nation, I want to build but I do not have the chance to do that. Unfortunately, the leaders who are given the opportunity to build the nation are not doing that at all. That is why the church is talking to its members get up and get their voting rights. The church has to be involved in choosing the right leaders who have the capacities to build this nation.”

The cleric posited that the days of Christians not being involved in partisan politics is over, stressing that stressed that votes should be cast for candidates based on their pedigrees and not based on the party they belong while also encouraging good Christians to vie for political positions.

On the gruesome killings by the Fulani herdsmen, he said, “It is high time we stopped the killings in this nation and if we don’t act on a serious note, people will begin to defend themselves and that’s the way it starts. There must be rule of law in this nation. Ownership of lands must not create problem in this nation because every state is in control of its land, so I can’t just bring my livestock to any state and they begin to feed on the grass without talking to those in charge of the land. So we just have to address things rightly.”

He however was optimistic that, “God will intervene. This will not continue for long, I believe. We are going through a phase and it is just like the life of every living thing, goes through phases. In last ten years, there have been a lot of tribulations in the land with the Boko Haram, the Fulani herdsmen, and all other unrest that the land has witnessed over the years but I do believe that things will change for good by the grace of God.”