*Says Churches Contribute To Nigeria's Problems
The Gloryland Baptist Church, FHA Lugbe on Saturday proffered solutions to the problems facing Nigeria.
Five panelists spoke during the church's National Symposium entitled 'The Church in a nation at crossroad'
The panelists included Revd Fr. George Ehusani, Revd Dr. Stephen Panya Baba, Oladoyin Oyelami Fesobi Esq, Idowu Akintola, Prof John Eyinnaya.
The moderator of the session was Dr. Tope Anthony Ojeme, who asked the panelists to speak on different questions.
Agreeing that Nigeria is really at a crossroad, they didn't exonerate the churches from the problems currently facing the country.
While some of them are calling for the return of the missionary schools to the original owners, others noted that the values in the Christiandom has been corrupted by prosperity gospel.
The diversity of the people in Nigeria, which aught to be a blessing, they noted has become a curse.
The division along ethnic line they pointed out has gotten to an alarming level in the country as Nigerians now prefer to have a devil from their area to be elected for a position than having an angel from another community.
Some of the recommendations at the end of seminar included the church to become an advocate for social justice, Christians to join and participate responsibly in politics, missionary schools should be returned to the original owners.
It was also recommended that the church must create leadership programmes to sustain good leadership culture in the country, the church must be first in the digital space, while christians must practice love and see one another as brethren.
Revd Fr. George Ehusani, who is an accomplished theologian, author, preacher, teacher, administrator, musician, social commentator, activist and a dedicated priest of the Most High God, pointed out that strong nations are built on values.
Citing Proverbs chapter 29, verse 18, he noted that leadership integrity is fundamental and critical to national unity and progress
According to him, when the leaders of any nation are corrupt, the people suffer.
Revd Fr. George Ehusani, who is the Guest Speaker, said "Many of us are not able to see the nexus between corrupt leadership and the fall of a nation. Leadership integrity is fundamental and critical to national unity and progress."
He also noted that many people who are called Christians have not distinguished themselves among the crowd.
Christians, he said, are among corrupt contractors and selfish elites in the country.
If Nigeria is to be saved, he said, Christians who have been commissioned to go and preach the gospel to all nations must answer the call in truth and in spirit.
On his part, Revd Dr. Stephen Panya Baba, while stressing that the church has played a critical role from the foundation of Nigeria, said things started going down from the 1980s with the increase in prosperity gospel.
That, he said, led to the explosion of corruption and greed in the society, which contributed greatly to where Nigeria is today.
Revd Dr. Stephen Panya Baba, who was the Director of EMS of ECWA, the Mission arm of the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) church, said "We need to go back to teaching the morals we were taught when we were growing up."
For things to change positively in Nigeria, he said the book of 1st Chronicles in the Holy Bible must be taken very seriously and that God will cause a change when we earnestly seek His face.
A female panelist among the group and legal practitioner of repute, Oladoyin Oyelami Fesobi Esq, declared that Nigeria is really at a crossroad and that the church has played a role in the corrupted nation.
"The church must purge itself. We must practice holiness and righteousness."
As a way forward for the nation, she said Nigerians must return to Christ.
Calling for national prayers for the nation, she also said Christians should be allowed to join politics to correct the ills in the society.
She also charged mother's to do everything possible to instil morals in their children.
Another panelist, Idowu Akintola said the church must begin to see the dilemma of the future if it refuses to do anything now.
"A lot can be done to address the problems facing the country. The church must intentionally begin to raise leaders from the kindergarten.
"The church must be involved, educate and train the youths in the act of leadership so that we can correct the wrongs and secure the next generation." he stated
Urging the church to take community development seriously, he said, the church must also begin to have interest in business apart from spiritual matters.
Professor John Eyinnaya argued that if not for the church, Nigeria could have gone into extinction.
"There is a lot the church has done, but much more is still required from the church.
According to him, three things must be addressed for Nigeria to come out of the problems.
The real problems of Nigeria, he said, included corruption, ethnicism and the value system.
Highlighting the roles of the church, he said, it's only the church that can help solve the problem of ethnicism in Nigeria.
Insisting that the church is the solution to the problems of Nigeria today, he challenged Christians to rise up and truly shine as the light of the world.
Calling for the change to begin with the church, he said if there is corruption and tribalism in Nigeria, such characters should never be found in the church and among Christians.
He said churches that have schools should be used as training ground for youths to inculcate the right leadership virtues.
He also pointed out that most Christians who went into politics and couldn't shun the wrong societal behaviours were not really committed Christians before going into politics.
Some of the interventions and solutions suggested by those who attended the seminar included questioning what difference Christians who went into politics have made, noting that they have joined the bandwagon, there was also a call for an economist to be at the helm of affairs of the nation in order to help reshape the nation.
The congregation also harped on the need for the church to be united and calling for the return of the missionary schools.
It also urged the new generation not to discard, but be ready to learn from the 'old school'.
The Communiqué issued at the end of the symposium of the 20th Anniversary of the Gloryland Baptist Church, FHA, Lugbe, reads
"RECOMMENDATIONS
At the crossroads that our nation is currently at, the panel of discussants proposed the following key resolutions:
1. Christians must arise and answer their name as the light in the darkness of the world.
2. Intercessory Prayer: Fervent prayer for divine intervention, peace, and wisdom for leaders.
3. Return of Mission Schools: Restore schools to their original owners- the Church.
"4. Youth Empowerment: Invest in education, skill acquisition, and leadership development.
5. Moral Leadership: Promote integrity, transparency, and accountability.
6. National Unity: Foster dialogue and reconciliation across ethnic, religious, and political divides.
7. Moral Compass: Guiding the nation toward integrity and accountability.
"8. Our timeless traditions and values, often referred to as 'old school' by today's youth, serve as the bedrock for our moral principles. We must remain committed to these enduring principles and avoid deviating from the proven path that has guided us thus far.
9. Unifier: Bridging ethnic divides and promoting inclusivity.
10. Change Agent: Addressing corruption, insecurity, and social injustices.
11. Servant Leader: Meeting societal needs through selfless service.
"CONCLUSION: The Church must rise to its divine calling, addressing Nigeria's challenges through collective action, prayer, and advocacy. Christians must commit to working together to build a better future for our nation."