A clergyman, Olusola Oladeji has said the dearth of true believers among Nigeria’s ruling class has been contributing immensely to the economic, political, social challenges bedeviling the nation.
Oladeji, the Head Pastor of Passover Faith Christian Center in Osogbo, capital of Osun State, made this known in an interview with journalists during the Church’s Mid-Year Interdenominational Thanksgiving and Encounter Service themed “Breaking Forth – Isaiah 58:8” on Sunday.
The cleric opined that many policies of the Federal and State Governments of Nigeria have been failing because political leaders have only been relying on economic postulations, forgetting to fortify their policies with spiritual intercessions.
He said politicians at helms of affairs in the country do not know that governance is a spiritual warfare, stressing that the solution to myriad of challenges rocking Nigeria is in the church.
Pastor Oladeji noted that things wouldn’t have been so problematic for the nation if those at positions of authorities are true believers who pray and supplicate like other Nigerians who are not among the ruling class.
Explaining that the maiden edition of the Interdenominational service will become an annual event, the cleric said most parts of the programme is to give thanks to God for the first half of the year and receive grace for the remaining half of the year and beyond.
He urged political leaders and others at top echelon of the country to move beyond answering religious names, and exemplify true tenets and qualities of believers of God in discharging their constitutional duties.
Charging Nigerians not to relent in prayers, Oladeji said the nation would have been destroyed if believers had ceased to pray.
According to him, “Even with the present situation of this country, there is nothing above God. There are many believers today in Nigeria who don’t steal, who don’t embezzle, and yet, the are not in the group of those complaining of hardship. So, the solution to whatever challenge that the nation might be passing through is in the church. That is the truth of the matter. If politicians will find solutions to the problems of Nigeria, they must come to the church. If the President of this country will find solutions to the challenges of this country, he must come to the church because that is where the solution is. Nothing is far above God.
“There are many churches in Nigeria, fine, but how many of the ruling class are actually true believers? How many of those at the top echelon of decision-making in Nigeria are true believers? They can be called James, John, Deborah or what have you, but, are they true believers? It is when we truly seek the Lord that God will save us from the challenge of this nation. So, there is hope for Nigeria if we can come to him truly, especially starting from people in leadership positions. From President, Ministers, members of the National Assembly, State Houses of Assembly and Governors.”
He said there are forces of darkness hovering around the governance of the nation, and called on President Bola Tinubu and state governors to raise altar of intercessions at Government Houses for spiritual warfare with principalities and powers waging war against Nigeria.
Stressing the need for more prayers from both leaders and led, Oladeji stated, “If we stop praying, things will degenerate. We will keep on praying until our joy over this nation comes. There is God in Heaven that still answers prayers.
“President Bola Tinubu wished Nigerians well when he removed subsidy and when he took decision on foreign exchange. But, the truth is that the best decision that is not backed up with prayers will come out to have worst effects on the people. So, I am not blaming Mr President for removing subsidy. He has good intentions for floating Naira but governance is warfare. It is more than economic calculation. The best economic calculation will fail if God does not step in. So, we must not relent in praying for Nigeria. Anybody that has ever stepped into the office of the president has the love of this nation in their hearts. It is just that when those decisions are being made, the spiritual aspect of it is not properly taken care of.
“Let me quickly send this advice; let every state government raise altar of strong intercessions for this nation. Starting from Aso Rock, down to every state. Let them gather the believers who are not looking for money together, those who will genuinely cry to God concerning this nation in every Government Houses. Governance is spiritual warfare. If you take that aspect out of it, no matter how good your policies are, the forces of darkness that will frustrate them are there. The princes of darkness that are delegated to Nigeria alone, the government doesn’t have power over them no matter how knowledgeable it may be. The solution is in the church,” he stated.