A physically challenged Christian cleric, Reverend Jacob Udoh, has blamed the socio- political and economic problems plaguing Nigeria currently on the door steps of his fellow men of God.
Udoh who is a Reverend pastor with the Assemblies of God Church in Benue State, made this assertion after he donated a Peugeot station Wagon car to the All Progressives Congress(APC) national secretariat to help in the running of the party’s activities.
Speaking to this reporter after the donation, Rev. Udoh lambasted other clerics who have formed the habit of praise- singing every government in power. He pointed out that such men of God who go to sleep in government houses where they dine and wine with political leaders, in the guise of praying for such leaders, have lost their callings and values and are the bane of the current Nigerian society.
He advised against such practice, stating that “Christian leaders , like pastors, should not go and sleep in politicians’ houses in order to say they are praying for them. That is not what they should be doing”.
He added that “Ministers like me are the cause of major problems in Nigeria today because they do not advise the politicians well”. He said that while the politicians are doing wrong, the pastors look the other way. “The Ministers who are supposed to tell them the truth, are not telling them the truth. Rather, they go there to receive envelops. They say they want to hold night vigils for them and they receive money from them. Then when the time comes, they will not be able to tell them the truth. This is not what a Minister of God should be doing”.
Rev. Udoh said these caliber of clerics could as well be likened to biblical prophets of Baal. In his words, “yes, that is the truth. There were 400 prophets of Baal who would tell King Ahab the wrong things. But there was one prophet of God who decided to tell the King the truth, damning the consequences. This is what we ought to be doing in our generation”.
He spoke further. “ I wrote Obasanjo in 1999, to build a chapel in Aso Rock. That is all I needed to do. I don’t need to go to Aso Rock to worship. That is what a Minister of the gospel is supposed to do. If we are doing this, telling the politicians the truth, they would not have gotten Nigeria to where it is today. The troubles we have in the country today, in PDP, in APC or in anywhere, is because of what the Ministers of the gospel are doing and it has to change”.
Speaking earlier, during the presentation of the car to the party officials, the cleric who was on a wheelchair said although he is not a politician by virtue of his position, he has became disillusioned by the way things are going on in the country.
Udoh who is also the national Secretary of the Association of Persons Living With Disabilities said what motivated him to make the donation is his hope in what the party promised to offer to Nigerians in its programmes and policies adding that Nigerians should give the party a chance.
“I go to villages to donate things to the people, I know what Nigerians are going through. There is a need for an honest approach for Nigeria’s problem which the politicians have failed to address in the last three years, “he said.
Receiving the donation on behalf of the party, the national Secretary of the party, Mai Mala Buni said the donation by the cleric is worthy of emulation as it proves that there is ability in disability.
He also commended him for his concern for the welfare of Nigerians especially the poor who suffer most in the present situation.
Buni promised that the party will make good use of the vehicle to run the affairs of its secretariat.
Also speaking, a national ex-officio of the party, Alhaji Nasiru Danu said the cleric has demonstrated his commitment to the nation by contributing in his own way to better the polity.
He added that what he did will go along way in awakening other people about their responsibility in helping to bring solution to the myriads of problem affecting the nation.
