Adeboye, others implore youths to eschew violence, work hard

• Call for their inclusion in governance, condemn Christians’ pilgrimage 

THE General Overseer, The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Adejare Adeboye, has called on Nigerians, especially the youths, to eschew laziness and be hardworking to realise the purpose for living and achieve their destinies.     

  Speaking during the thanksgiving service at the RCCG Headquarters (Throne of Grace), Ebute-Metta on the topic: “Born To Reign”, with special prayers for applicants and those that desire to ‘over-flow’ in 2015, Adeboye, who described the month of February as a crucial month for the nation, prayed fervently that God Himself would choose the right leaders for Nigeria.

  The cleric said that an average person born in a royal family is destined to become a king, but not all that are in that category would become king, adding that a person with that hope would still have to work towards that destiny, become born again, for the destiny to be actualised. 

  In the same vein, while the Senior Pastor, Grace and Glory Chapel, Lagos, Pastor Mike Adebamowo, has called for youths in the country to be given a chance to take their rightful place in the affairs of the country, his counterpart, Pastor Joe Femi-Dagunro, has described as “wasteful”, Christians’ pilgrimage to Jerusalem, stating that Christ did not instruct that.

  The duo made these statements recently at the thanksgiving service of the church to usher in the new chapel in Lagos.

  Adebamowo used the occasion to warn against the use of young people as thugs for whatever purpose, and described such acts as evil and damaging to the future of any country.

  According to him: “God has a special place for youths in every nation and Nigeria must protect her youths so there can be a future.

  “It is anti-God and is immoral to use youths as thugs for political reasons. Those who use youths as thugs should start with their own children and put them in the fore-front; but we know that is never going to be possible. 

  “In the first instance, their children are probably in America or Canada or Europe, so, it is immoral for them to use other youths for destruction.” 

  The cleric advised that awareness should be created among the youths to let them know and understand their identity and strength of their youth. 

  He said that the action was critical to helping the Nigerian youths fulfill their God-given mission and purpose in life. 

  Adebamowo added that good governance and leadership were critical to solving the security challenges in Nigeria.

  “The real solution is about good governance and leadership. Many things are inter-connected because security will not stand in isolation. 

  “Security, corruption and poverty all work together, even education. An educated person, who also has the fear of God, will not go and kill or maim another.

  “We must continue to pray against insecurity as a nation; it is a collective responsibility because God is not partial, His love is unconditional,” Adebamowo said.

  Pastor Femi-Dagunro said that “as much as people could travel to see other climes, they should not attach a trip to Jerusalem as a compulsory task in the practice of Christianity.”

  He said that such money could be put to more productive use of building industrial and information technology parks for the development of the Nigerian youths.

  “There is no point for us not to say the truth if we believe in it. There is nowhere that it is written in the Bible that Christians must visit Jerusalem. Jesus did not say ‘You must visit my tomb’.

  “We are wasting money on it and that money could be used to support the youths; to build industrial parks, to build IT parks.

“So, the church leaders have a role to speak the truth and advise government on how it can do this,” the cleric said.

  Besides, the Senior Pastor, Trinity Living Church Worldwide Ministry, Abuja, Pastor Emmanuel Adefowora, has urged Nigerian youths to avoid any act that would endanger their lives or the peaceful co-existence of the country.

  In a statement made available to The Guardian in Abuja, the cleric, who appealed to all eligible voters to go out on the day of election and carry out their civic responsibility by voting for the candidate of their choice without causing any trouble or standing among trouble-makers that can put them into lifetime troubles or put them behind the bars, said: “Your life is the most precious gift given to you by God and you must cherish and preserve it because it has no second chance. Your future is too beautiful than what you can allow anyone to waste. Politicians are chameleons; they cannot be trusted. Politicians are selfish people; they value their lives, families and property more than anyone. As I am talking now, most of them have taken their children out of the country because of the election danger.”

  Adeboye also berated those that are clamouring to become politicians because they want quick money without labouring, adding that such money would not last.

  He said: “Riches gathered in a dubious way will disappear while riches that are achieved through hardwork will endure because God would reward faithfulness and hard-work.

  “I even believe it is time to be asking especially those that desire to be politicians their clear manifestos and those that are already there, what they have done.  Our leaders should be made to account for their wrong deed and in Nigeria, how many people have been jailed for corruption?  Rather, they will still give them chieftaincy titles while the government would grant them state pardon so that they can contest again and steal more money.