*Lambasts FG over continued ASUU strike
*Says jumbo pay for public office holders may not be reduced
*Nigeria’s biggest problem not corruption but lack of value for human lives – Kputu
Success Nwogu
The Presiding Bishop of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM), Dr. Mike Okonkwo, has said that while it is important for Christians to continue to pray for the desired progress in Nigeria, Christians should also participate actively in politics.
He also admonished them to positively impact the nation when they are elected into offices.
He warned that the desire of Christians to have better governance may remain a mirage if they did not actively be involved in the processes that will lead to the emergency of candidates of political parties at different levels.
He spoke on Sunday during the first edition for 2022 of TREM’s programme tagged: Breeding Leaders for Empowerment and National Transformation (BLENT) at TREM’s international headquarters, Anthony-Oke, Gbagada Expressway, Lagos.
The bishop said it is worrisome that students in public universities in Nigeria are still out of session as a result of the ongoing strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities.
He lamented that inability of the Federal Government to addressed the demands of ASUU.
The cleric also said the clamour by Nigerians for reduction of the jumpo pay of public office holders such as President, Governors, Ministers and members of the National Assembly may remain a mirage as the relevant officials and institutions will not do the needful to reduce the jumpo pay.
Okonkwo said, “The church must come out. We are called the light of the world and the salt of the earth. And you put salt in a bottle? We are not the bottle. Come out of the bottle and be the salt in society. That is who we are. We are to make an impact.
“How many of you know that we are praying for the coming elections in Nigeria? How many of you know that we are trusting God for a change in Nigeria? But the question is how many of us are participating actively in the political process?
“Many of us do not understand how powerful government is. There are powerful forces on earth: God or the church. After that the Government. Government is powerful.n Government can kill you if they choose to kill you and there is nothing you can do about it. They can decide to throw you into jail, lock up the key and throw away the key and you will be there. Government is powerful. But we are burying our heads inside the church and we are praying. There is nothing wrong with praying. I believe God has answered our prayers. But the issue is that we have not actively been engaged.
“Decisions are taking behind the scene and they will throw up two candidates and you will say, ‘out of two evils, let us choose one.’ I do not want to choose any evil. I want a good one. But we choose out of the two evils they will throw up and you expect them to make decisions that will bless you. We are wasting our time. It does not work that way.
“Go to your wards and register. Be there when they will take decisions so we will be looking for who is right and who is wrong that will come because once they throw them up,
“If you say I will not vote, for people will still vote and they will win and they will go there and take decisions for you.”
He added, “Many people who say they want to go into politics are actually looking for positions where they will carry sirens and not really to serve because if you really want to serve, why don’t you want to be a councilor. The grassroots, that is where the people are. Why do you not want to display what you can do as a councillor, chairman of a local government, and not I want to be a governor.
“You do not even have a political structure. You say you are praying to God. Is God the one who will come and organise it for you? It is the local government should do the road for you in your area and we leave those ones. We are looking at President. Go and get involved in your ward. Join the political parties and make your voice count. Do not be lost in the crowd. We need to be committed, otherwise, this country will not change.
“You think the social media will move them? You are telling them to reduce their salaries, how can they reduce their salaries when that is the reason they went there in the first instance? And you expect them to pass a law that will reduce their salaries? They can not pass a law that will reduce their salaries because that is the main attraction.
“They will even take more while they allow you to suffer. How much is the Academic Union of Universities (ASUU) asking for that they have shot down the schools and our children can not go to schools? Our school system is destroyed because we have bad people in those places. And a nation without education, a nation that is destroying the education in that land can not make any progress.”
“Let us start from where you are in, in your little corner. Display integrity, there is nothing like if you can not beat them, join them. No! No! You do not join them, even at the risk of your life because your salvation is more important. Jesus said where your treasure is, that is where your heart is. What is the treasure/Jesus is our treasure and that is where my heart is. That is where I have been zeroing in on. I can not allow society to determine how I behave. I look at the Scripture. How will my Jesus behave? Some of us are here now when they talk about government we laugh. You nko? In your little corner.
“So let us start with our constituency. Your corner is your constituency. Make up your mind to be a man or a woman of integrity, excellence. When you do things, they are different. You have integrity and excellence. You are committed. Take a quality decision. Let it be part of your life because that is what Christianity is all about.”
The former National President of the Student Wing of Peoples Redemption Party, Rev Sam Kputu said the major challenge of Nigeria is not corruption but lack of value for human lives.
He lamented that not much care is given to the vulnerable, adding that there must be a change in value.
According to him, Christians have a divine and cultural mandate to participate and influence how society is organized, and shaped for the greater good of all.
The guest speaker spoke on “Becoming a game-changer in Nigeria’s politics.”
Kputu who is also the International Director, Calvary Ministries called on Christians not to fail in their divine mandate.
He said that Politics is too serious a business to be left with unserious people, adding that Christians should be involved in politics.
He noted that if Christians in politics live according to Biblical tenets, they will make a positive impact and good difference in the government and the societ
The cleric urged Christians to show the world the light in politics and governance.
He also has said that good politicians have great potential to do public good to a vast majority of people, especially the weak, the vulnerable, and the marginalized in society.
He stated that Christians motivated by God’s love can be instruments of justice, equity, and change in our nation and communities.
According to him, Christians in Nigeria can make positive impacts on governance.
He stated that Christians have appreciable numerical strength in the country and could influence voting patterns.
Kputu said, “The old-age debate has been: Should Christians be involved in politics? It has been an old age debate. This question has plagued the church for generations. But, the right question should be ‘why not?’ And the answer to these questions as to many other complex issues is often simple and wrong. There has always been in the church, the fundamentalists who argue that Christians are simply called to preach the gospel, deliver the world, save souls, and whatever problems they had here will be settled in heaven. It is not our business to get involved in social issues. And then there are the liberals who advocate the social gospel and postulate that the whole business of the church is to seek to deliver man from the clutches of oppression, injustice, poverty, and disease. This is a humanist gospel. Both are extreme and therefore wrong. Christians, remember not the church, have to be involved in politics and social issues. It is imperative. Why? First, we are called from the world and sent back to the world as witnesses. 1Peter 2:9-10. We are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, God’s holy people, chosen to show forth the praises of Him who has called us out of darkness into his marvelous light. We are not showing that to those who are already called out but to those who are yet called.
“Second, the great commission mandates us to go into all the world. Matthew 28:19. There are different kinds of world. There is the geographical world which are the continents, countries, states, local governments, and the community. These are the geographical world and the Lord demands that we touch every path of that world. As young Christians, we used to sing: ‘Anywhere man is found, he must be made to praise the Lord.’
“But there is also the social world, the world of young people, old people, women, men, business people, politicians, students. the world of business, the world of prostitutes, the world of migrants. It is a social world and we are to go to every part of the social world. Some people call it: the seven mountains.
“Politics is a world of its own. A world where men can promise heaven and give you hell in return. There is a religious world: the spiritual world of Muslims, Buddhists, atheists, traditional worshippers, Confucianists, and all those secular humanists. To all those worlds, Jesus said, ‘go.’
“Third, we are called to be priests and kings. Priests unto God, interceding, and standing in the gap,. But kings, working with God to enforce His authority on earth. He said to the Church, ‘I have given you the keys of the Kingdom. I have given you authority. So when we are dealing with God, we intercede, we plead. When we are dealing with man, we command. Unfortunately, we have a generation of Christians who command God and beg the devil. May God deliver us from such in the name of Jesus.”
He added, “Politics is more than a game. Some people call it a game. It is defined by Wikipedia as ‘activities associated with the governance of a country, or an area, especially the debate between parties to have power and exercise power. These activities are aimed at improving people’s status and increasing their influence within organisations. Politics is a way that people living in groups make decisions. People are about making agreements between people so that they can live together in peace as tribes, cities, countries.
“So politics is the space, the table on which men and women sit to negotiate how they live together. You can not live such a table to other people. You got to sit at that table.
“Many people talk about politics as a game. That puts it at par with soccer. It is as if Manchester United is playing Man City. In such games, it only affects a very tiny group of people, investors, vendors, players, managers, and fans. As exciting as soccer games are and the best soccer is played by the best team in the world called Liverpool, now as good and exciting as soccer games are they carry very little consequences on the lives of a majority.
“But politics is different. It has great consequences on the lives of all, even the eternal consequences. If in doubt, look at the events in Somalia, Libya, Brexit, and currently Ukraine and Russia. Someone said, ‘in a jiffy, Putin ended COVID-19, nobody asking Ukrainian refugees whether they are vaccinated. Everybody is going.
“So politics is not a game. It is a serious business, too to be left to the unserious. There are three institutions that God established on earth to build and sustain His Kingdom. The first is family. God established the family as a means to reflect the love between Him and us. Husband and wife are a typology of Jesus and His church. Parents and children are a typology of us and our father. And through families, God built and sustain His kingdom on earth.
“The second institution is the church. The church was not built by men. It was not started by politicians. The church is God’s creation. The church is the custodian, the divine National Assembly that sits and makes rules to run God’s kingdom on earth.
“The third institution is government. Government or whatever description, whether it is monarch, autocracy, presidential, parliamentary, whatever form of government, God is not a God of anarchy. God does not rule in the midst of confusion and sometimes we need to be careful. That some of our pro-democracy and social activists are actually advocating anarchy. That is not God.
“So, family, church, and government are God’s institutions whenever and wherever the enemy wants to fight and limit the growth of God’s kingdom, he attacks these three institutions. He attacks family, he attacks the church, he attacks the government.
“To grow and preserve God’s kingdom is to fight for the preservation of family, the preservation of the church, and the preservation of the government.”
Kputu further said, “Politics is one of these three institutions that affect the governance of nations. The Lord calls leaders in government His minister 1 Peter 2:13-25. He places them at the same level as our pastors, bishops, and ministers. They are His ministers. Do not ask me how He ordained them.
“When those in leadership promote good and deters sin, they are acting as God’s servants, His ministers. For that reason, we are called to submit to them. The Bible teaches us that God is sovereignly involved in deciding who bears political leadership in every nation. Also, the Lord in His wisdom has always desired to put a line between spiritual authority in His church and political authority. When Kings and leaders arose who try to usurp God’s authority over His church, they usually fall by the wayside. And whenever the church arises to take control and exercise political power, it ended up weak and compromised. The separation of church and state was one of the legacies of the American and French revolutions at the end of the 18th century. It was achieved as a result of ideas arising from men and women who sought to protect the church from political influence. The separation of the church and state was not to protect the state from the church but to protect the church from the state.
“The potential of politics: Political power and influence have great potential to do public good to a vast majority of people, especially the weak, the vulnerable, the marginalized in the society. Christians motivated by God’s love can be instruments of justice, equity, and change in our nation and communities. Prov 28:5 says, “Even people do not know what justice is but those who worship the Lord understand it well.’ So, when you are looking for justice from wicked people, you are hoping for more than God. Prov 29: 2 says that ‘When the righteous are in authority, people rejoice but when the wicked rule, the people groan.’ So all you need to know whether those in power are wicked or righteous, is how the people are reacting. The wicked do not care about the rights of the poor but good people do. So when you are thinking that the wicked in power should look after the needs of the poor, you are hoping more than God. Each time wicked men in power talk about poverty alleviation, somebody is stealing money. It started with Judas. A woman came to offer perfume to Jesus, they said this could have been sold and the money distributed to the poor. the Bible said they did not say so because they cared about the poor but somebody was stealing from the purse.
“So anytime you hear poverty alleviation, watch out. Somebody is benefitting if he is not a righteous man.
“A friend of mine once said, ‘Every problem or crisis you see in our societies and communities is either an opportunity for a smart business person to make money or for the church to shine.’
“Another friend of mine said, “Most NGOs in our world are simply feeling up gaps our government and church have created.’ The Bible has much to say about justice, helping the poor and I believe we are all called to show love to people even those we disagree with. But as great as politics has potential, it has limits. As believers, we need to understand the limits of politics. One of the reasons why many believers are frustrated in politics is that they seek to expect from politics what politics can not offer.
“As believers, we are called to seek and build God’s kingdom based on justice and righteousness of God. These principles of the love, justice, and righteousness of God are very different from the demands of political justice. Jesus replied to them in John 18:36 ‘My kingdom is not of this world nor does it have its origin in this world. If my kingdom were of this world, I would have approached my challenge differently. I would have called forth an army but my kingdom is not of this world.
“Politics at its best can produce and ensure social righteousness. There are many countries in the world that are not Christians, you go to Dubai (United Arab Emirate) you leave money in a taxi, you will find it. You go to Singapore, you drop your phone on the street, they will locate you in the hotel and give you. They are not necessarily Christian countries. You go to Europe, or America, there is a concern for the aged and the children. In Jesus, we building buildings, even church buildings, we make no provisions for those on wheelchairs. We make no provision for those on wheelchairs in our toilets. You go to Victoria Island, there are many lifts and the lifts can not accommodate a wheelchair. They are not thinking of the weak. It is the survival of the strongest.
“You know a country God has touched by the values they place on human lives. The biggest problem of Nigeria is not corruption, the biggest problem of Nigeria is that there is no value for human lives. Corruption is just a manifestation. You heard testimony this morning. How will somebody with a gun be chasing people on the streets who have gone to bury a loved one? There is no value for human life. That is the biggest sign of ungodliness.
“So politics can ensure social righteousness but it is incapable of ensuring the righteousness of God. That is the critical limit of politics.”
He added, “There is not enough space in politics for everyone to be involved. Friends, have you ever thought of it. In a country of 240 million people, there are only 15,000 political offices, from councilor to President. We all can not squeeze in. So God could never have meant that all of us can only make a difference through political offices.
“There is a lot of space to do good. An American Christian statesman who has a passion to commend on this issue of Christians and politics has this to say, “I see politics as an opportunity that can quickly become a danger and distraction. We are not called to clean up society. Jesus did not call us to chase away the darkness. He called us to shine the light.’ You are in the office and your “Managing Director is stealing, if you are courageous, you can confront him. He may sack you or marginalise you. But God did not call you to stop your MD from stealing. He called you to make sure that you do not steal and where you know people stealing, you challenge them. The world will never persecute you for being holy. They will persecute you for being holly and trying to stop unholiness. But the average Nigerian Christian sees no evil, stops not evil and I hope does no evil. May the Lord help us to rise above evil.
“Jesus did not try to clean up the Roman empire despite the terrible practices of abandoning infants’ gladiator game. In fact, the people Jesus denounced most harshly were the Pharisees, some of the most moral people on earth. He did not give us the challenge of imposing our morality on others but rather of spreading a far more radical message that God loves sinners.
“Politics based on power and power always cause division. It is very difficult indeed to get across the message of love and power at the same time. One of them always losses out and we are called to emphasize love.
“Nigerian Christians and their political adventure: The history of Nigerian Christians involvement in national politics is a mixed creed of sadness and joy. We moved from the Scripture Union mindset of abhorrence (don’t touch it) to the holiness era of aversion (touch it with a long spoon). Then we can to the discipline moment (engage it but be cautious) to the charismatic era now (get fully involved). And each of those who have turned up both great results and great disaster.
“Have we made an impact and a difference? Have we? If not why and how can we?
Nigeria’s population as of today is about 214 million. It is an estimate. The population of Christians is put at about 87 million. Out of that, evangelical Christians (those who claim to be born again, and spirit-filled, tongues-speaking, heaven-going) are about 50 million. This is a significant number, significant enough to cause social change and mobility. So why are we not?
“Look at, in 1999 President Olusegun Obasanjo won the election with just 18.7 million votes; add even Buhari’s votes to him, they were not up to 30 million. In 2003, he was re-elected with 24.4 million votes, in 2007, Umaru Yar’Adua won the election with 24.6 million votes. Goodluck Jonathan who succeeded him was elected with 22.6million votes. In 2015, Muhammadu Buhari was elected President with 15.4 million votes. In 2019, he was re-elected with 15.19 million votes. How could 50 million people not decide who became President?
“What this shows is that Christians in Nigeria have enough number to put in power a national leadership even if operating as 50 percent capacity. Why then are we playing the victim in a nation where we hold a competitive advantage. We have challenges, disunity occasioned by sectionalism. We have Nigerian Christians when we should be having Christian Nigerians. When you are a Nigerian Christian, your Nigerianness is sitting on your Christianity. It will pollute it.
“There is disunity occasioned by sectionalism and even communalism. Lack of coherent and cohesive kingdom agenda. The church has not designed a cohesive agenda for the kingdom.
“Sporadic and discordant political engagement, poor voter education, and mobilization. I see many of us now keeping quiet. We are saying, ‘hold your PVC.’ Elections do not start with PVC, Right now, party caucuses are meeting. Congresses are meeting. In 2023, they will throw two demons
“Right now party caucuses are meeting, congresses are meeting. In 2023, they will throw up two candidates that you want, you decide who you want. If you are not involved in the process that threw up a candidate, you have lost power. How many Christians are registered members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)? Very few. Your Permanent Voter’s card is of no use if the caucuses of the parties throw up two bad candidates.
“Absence of a strong support and accountability structure. My pursuit of Christian involvement in politics took me to South Korea some years ago. I found out that South Korea was worse than where Nigeria is today. The government was changing three, six months for corruption. The people got tired, they went and approached the Late Paul Yongi Cho and said, “Please .., so if the Lagos State people wanted a government, they will come to Bishop Mike Okonkwo and said, ‘Sir do you have somebody in your church who can be governor for us? The church will make an altar call, screen them and send them to the people. You did not need to spend money and you did not need to swear to idols. The church will throw you up and if the church disciplined you, you lost political power. There was a structure, there was accountability but as soon as you become commissioner in Lagos State, you are no longer a member of the Men’s Fellowship. You have outgrown. Level don change. There is no accountability. That is the problem.
“Being a Christian does not translate to being a good leader. You have to have initiative, competence, and delivery capacity. It is not so much your degree as your pedigree. What have you been doing previous to coming into politics? Who have you affected? Which community have you transformed? That is your pedigree. Ayo Fayose became a governor with HND in a state with many professors because he just loaded water in tankers and went to villages and gave water. Nobody knew he had an agenda but when politics came it was like this our waterman, let us vote him. Is it now why they wanted to make Jesus king after he fed them, 5,000 people. They wanted to grab him by force and make him king. Touch the people and they will vote for you.
“We need to be game-changers. How do we become game-changers? How can we as Christians change the narrative and quit our Protestantism and stop being a Public Complaint Commission? We always say, ‘We do not want this, we do not want this? It is not important in politics who you do not want, it is important who you want. You do not win power by protesting. You win power by participating.
“To be a game-changer be an ICE. ICE stands for Integrity, Competence, Excellence. The world will always gravitate to where there is integrity. The world will always gravitate to where there is commitment and Excellence.
“The Bible said a diligent man will not sit with ordinary people. the world is not ruled by intelligent people, it is ruled by diligent people. Eccl 9:11, the strongest warrior does not win the battle. The fastest runner does not win a race, the educated are not always rich. The wise are not always successful. It is a matter of being at the right place at the right time. That is why the steps of the righteous must be ordered by the Lord.
“Joseph and Daniel excelled in public service even in a hostile environment under a pagan king. The Bible credited them with the following: God’s abiding presence, the Lord was with Joseph. He prospered and succeeded. There was an excellent spirit in Daniel that nobody could compete. Integrity and competence: they can scrutinize Daniel. The only area that you find fault is his commitment to God.
“Is there any department of government where you do not have a Christian? Is there any bank where there are no Christian managers and Managing Directors? They are everywhere but they are not making an impact. Martin Luther once said, “If I am to do surgery, I will rather have a talking surgeon than a Christian butcher.’
“We should try to vote for the candidate who will do the best job running the country with policies we can support regardless of their personal piety.
“Salt is not judged by quantity. Salt is judged by quality. You do not need a bucket of rice and a bucket of salt to sweetened the rice. The church should ask; what quality of salt are we producing? Do not blame the soup.
“Let us endeavor to get into the political arena strategically, with wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. Seek influence before position, place influencing policy direction above personal ambition.
“Every leader has a nobleman upon who he leans. Be that nobleman for a start. Practice political evolution and upward integration. Too many Christians want to start climbing the tree from the top. You have never been a councilor and you want to be a governor. The Chinese have a say” If only the monkey had sat on the floor, nobody would have known it has bare buttocks. It is because it started climbing that we saw its nakedness. Take time to build political support. Going into politics is as critical as going into the mission field. The battle is more fierce, you need prayer support, you need accountability structure. You need people who can tell you the truth. I was talking to a former Head of State in this country, he told me, “Look Sam, whenever God takes you to a position of influence, keep your old friends, they are the ones that know you and can tell you the truth.’
“Every fair-weather friend will always clap for you to the grave. May you have an accountability structure. This is not just about politics, any endeavor in life, even business, ministry. No one breaks into a strong man’s house and takes his property unless he binds.
“We have a divine and cultural mandate to participate and influence how our society is organized, shaped for the greater good of all. A political platform is one avenue but party politics, like any other in life must be engaged as a calling from God. Where God leads, he follows with grace and wisdom. To be a game-changer in politics will take a shift in paradigm from selfish ambition to selfless availability.
“From position seeking to policy formulation, from peddling affluence to peddling influence, from personal agenda to kingdom agenda, from using people to building people. From position seeking to policy formulation, from peddling affluence to peddling influence, from personal agenda to kingdom agenda, from using people to building people.”…. Continue reading