As Nigeria clocked 63 on Sunday, some people have reacted to the call by the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, urging Nigerians to pray for the country.
Following the clergyman’s call, Professor Patrick Lumumba’s speech contradicted that prayer and fasting will not launch Africa to the path of greatness has resurfaced.
The Kenyan pan-Africanist and human rights activist noted that the liberation of Africa will not come by its religious exercises.
Lumumba, who is a Founding Trustee of the African Institute for Leaders and Leadership, stated this in an address he delivered at the Platform, a non-political and non-denominational programme, hosted by The Covenant Nation, Iganmu, Lagos.
The erudite professor stated that to save Africa, conflict and the change of governance must be dealt with, adding that if the question of governance is left out, the continent’s progress will be stalled.
“Africa has become a continent where after every election, there is conflict because the pursuit of power is the cutthroat competition where our throats are actually cut.
“We have a problem in that direction and the sooner we resolve that, the safer we will be. Africa can rise and Africa will rise, but it is not going to rise by prayer and fasting.
The former director of the defunct Kenya Anti-corruption Commission (KACC) pointed out that freedom will not be given to Africa on a silver platter, but that the continent must stand up and take responsibility for itself.
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“We must pray and fast but it will not happen, because the last time I checked even those of you who are believers – when Abraham was taken from the wood of the Chaldeans and given Canaan, it was not on a silver platter. He had to fight the Canaanites; he had to fight the Philistines.
“That is the nature of divine instruction, ‘Go ye and subdue the world by the sweat of thy brow’. The kitchen where they made manna was closed. Manna will no longer come, because you must now make your manna and it is our duty as Africans to begin to rethink,” he said.
Lumumba noted that the bold step the continent will take is an extension for a better future for the generations to come.
“The younger generations – (there is a saying in Tchi Malawi, more precious than our children than our children’s children) When we are doing these things we must remind ourselves that we are doing this for this generation and generation yet to be born,” Lumumba said.
Adeboye’s call
During the church’s monthly thanksgiving service on Sunday, Adeboye had noted that to enjoy free freedom, individuals should keep praying for the country, stressing that colonisation does not mean freedom from poverty, terror, or sickness.
In the sermon entitled, “Free Indeed,” Adeboye said decolonisation from colonial masters did not guarantee freedom from poverty, terror, and forces of darkness.
He urged Nigerians to join forces together for the salvation of the nation, noting that genuine freedom encompassed physical, material, and spiritual liberation.
“You cannot claim that you are free indeed if you have physical problems and you are bound by physical or spiritual darkness.. To be free indeed, you must not be in bondage physical, material and spiritual.
“You cannot say you are free if you are poor and still afraid of something. The Bible tells us that Jesus Christ is seated far above municipalities and power and God has put everything under his feat.
“All these evil forces are under your feet if you are a child of God because the feet are the lowest part of the body. So, even if you are the lowest part of the body of Christ, all these evil forces are still under you. When you are in Christ, then you know the meaning of true freedom, free indeed.
“What is applicable to the individual can become applicable to a nation because a nation is made of individuals. And that is why you must join forces together as much as possible to bring salvation to our nation by bringing as many souls to Christ because whomever the Christ shall set free, shall be free indeed.
“That is why you have a responsibility to keep praying for your nation, for individuals that are yet to be safe that God will save their souls, and the more of us that are saved, the easier it will be for every one of us to say we are now free indeed.
“You can be enjoying independence from the colonial masters and still be in slavery to sickness, poverty, terror, forced of darkness but if you come to the Son, he will set you free.
DJ Switch, Effiong disagree
Nigerian disc jockey, Obianuju Catherine Udeh, professionally known as DJ Switch has tackled renowned clergyman, Pastor Adeboye over his double standards.
The famous disc jockey noted how the founder of The Redeemed Christian Church, is always urging Nigerians to pray for the country, yet doesn’t call out the cause of Nigeria’s woes.
She wrote: “Pastor Adeboye constantly urging Nigerians to pray for Nigeria… but rarely calls out the cause of Nigeria’s woes! Rarely calls them out for a failure to serve. The Jesus you worship served and called out corruption point blank! Some of una go say touch not my anointed! Anointing wey no dey anoint.”
Some months back, she slammed the clergyman over his expression of hope in the President-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to fix and rebuild Nigeria with the help of God.
She slammed him for his silence during the election period when Nigerians needed it the most while noting how he had stayed mute when “his friends” were mounting injustices and oppressing the citizens but has suddenly found his voice and wants the president-elect to fix the country.
In other news, the DJ had recently bragged about roasting renowned Nigerian novelist and playwright, Wole Soyinka, for his bigotry and myopic thinking.
She recounted how at the event, they all got talking about African writers, and of course, Nigeria’s contribution, and when given the floor to air her thoughts, she didn’t hesitate to roast him.
Effiong in his Twitter handle wrote ‘‘Dear Pastor Adeboye, I will not pray for Nigeria because our country does not need prayers.
‘‘The problems of Nigeria are not spiritual and will not be solved with prayers. You and other religions leaders have been endlessly praying for Nigeria since 1960.’’
The legal practitioner noted ‘‘We are yet to see fundamental positive changes. Many of those who ruined and those still ruining Nigeria are still alive and nothing has happened to them. They even live better and longer than the good people.
‘‘Unemployment, corruption, poor health, bad roads, poor education and other problems facing Nigeria will not be solved through prayers.’’
