Nigeria on path of greatness, says Bishop Gordon Osagiede

Speaking in Abuja, the bishop said, “Nigerians are beginning to see for themselves that we can have a say in what is going on in the nation. We can have our own opinions on how we want our nation to go. I believe strongly that the young democracy that we are running is just the […]

Speaking in Abuja, the bishop said, “Nigerians are beginning to see for themselves that we can have a say in what is going on in the nation. We can have our own opinions on how we want our nation to go. I believe strongly that the young democracy that we are running is just the beginning of what is to come and that is why I believe that the situation and the state of our country right now is a growing stage of democracy, awareness, enlightenment and so I am very encouraged by what God is doing.”

Osagiede known for his impactful teachings on leadership and youth empowerment said Nigerians have gained much awareness and enlightenment because of the impact of information. To him, gone are the days when Nigerians accepted anything that came their way.

He believes that as the country undergoes the process of change, the church has its role to play which is continues intercession for the nation and its leaders. “I believe the first response the local church is to pray, that is the first response God has instructed us as believers — to pray for our leaders because the bible tells us the prayer of the righteous avails much. So I believe that Christians are to first pray,” he said.

The US-based bishop advised men of God to shun sentiments and devote more time to patriotic teachings that will move the nation forward. He observed, “One thing that happens much in the local church is that many believers conduct prayers based on their affiliations. A church is supposed to be praying for the well being of the leaders, for God to give the leaders wisdom but certain believers are praying for the downfall of their leaders, praying for things not to work out, praying for their own person. That is not what the scripture teaches. The scripture teaches that we should pray for the leaders of the nation.

“Now, except a leader is blatantly going against the law, committing atrocities against his people, killing his people then that is totally injustice. We cannot pray for his well being. We pray that God will remove him from power but there has to be unity in the local church–when we pray, we should be together. Then after praying, it is now time to take actions.”

Bishop Osagiede said religious leaders have to show the congregation the right way because they have great influence on the congregation. To him, a country with such a high number of religious people should not experience some of the problems in the country.

By his estimation, more than 95 percent of Nigerians are either Christians or Muslims and so righteousness should reign more on the country than the violence, corruption and other crimes experienced in the country.

To those at the helms of affairs, the bishop advised them to be more concerned about the plight of the masses. “I want to charge them by the spirit of God to think about the Nigerian people. They should know that they are in that office for such a time to make a change in the life of the people. I believe that we need visionary leaders who see the future of the nation and are willing to give even their lives; I firmly believe that Nigeria is a nation to die for; it is a nation to bleed for,” he said.