Obasanjo Accuses Church Leaders of encouraging Corruption in Nigeria

*Obasanjo admonishes church leaders to watch the way they are preaching about prosperity

*He talked about the powers given the EFCC and ICPC during his administration

The Former Military Head of State and also a civilian President of Nigeria, General Olusegun Obasanjo, has pointed fingers of accusation at Nigerian churches and other religious leaders of corruption.

Gen. Obasanjo said while some house of worship, like many other establishments in the country, have tainted their images, the actions and preaching of some men of God leaves much to be desired.

According to Premium Times, in statements released by the former president while delivering a speech entitled: “The role of the church in the fight against corruption in Nigeria”, during the convention of Victory Life Bible Church International in Abeokuta, Ogun state, he stated: “There is no doubt that all our institutions have been tarnished by the brush of corruption.

“If the Church, as an institution, does not take bribe or get involved in other corrupt practice, the behaviour of some of our men of God leaves much to be desired.

“They not only celebrate but venerate those whose sources of wealth are questionable. They accept gifts (offering) from just anybody without asking questions. This gives the impression that anything is acceptable in the house of God.

“But if Jesus can chase out those buying and selling from the temple with the declaration that, ‘My house shall be called the house of prayer, but ye have made it a den of thieves,’ then it is time to stand up against corruption.”

Femi Olajide representing the ex-president, the chapel of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library’s Christ the Glorious King Church, he advised churches to lead the fight against corruption by moderating the way the pass the messages of prosperity to their member.

“Our present day ‘money changers’ and ‘merchants’ must be chased out of the church and put to shame in the larger society.

“While miracles, signs and wonders are the expectations of true believers, such must be based on righteousness. To preach that one can acquire wealth without labour is not only deceitful; it is a call to corruption. It is false preaching and it is sinful.

“We must be careful in believing and celebrating every testimony of miraculous blessing, hence we end up being hoodwinked into celebrating corruption,” he said recalling how he fought corruption while he led the country between 1999 and 2007.

“The government has tried to contain corruption through the enactment of laws and the enforcement of integrity systems, but success has been slow in coming.

“Legislations alone are not enough as they are often breached by those who make them and those who implement them," he said.