One of the biggest misconceptions of the world, in my opinion, is the view held by some that members of the clergy should not participate in politics or government.

I have read The Holy Bible and The Quran and to the best of my knowledge, nowhere in both books is such a notion promoted.

As a matter of fact, the first usage of the word ‘government’ comes from The Holy Bible and the United States of America lifted the word ‘President’ directly from The Bible book of Daniel (chapter 6 verse 3).

Some of the greatest figures in The Bible were prophets and political leaders at the same time. Joseph was Prime Minister of Egypt and political ruler of the then known world but he was also described as a prophet and diviner of God’s will.

Daniel was appointed President of Babylon by King Darius yet he continued to function in office as a judge and prophet.

In the New Testament, Joseph of Arimathea was a counsellor (the equivalent of today’s Senator) and he was a devotee of Our Lord and Saviour, Yeshu’a (whom some call Jesus). Likewise, the first African Christian, the Ethiopian Eunuch, was a high official in Queen Candace’s government.

So, there is nothing wrong with men of God coming into politics. It is desired and it will help clean up politics.

What is wrong however, is for men of God to come into politics and instead of being agents of transforming politics with the light of their moral compass, they end up conforming to the prevailing political culture such that you can not differentiate between them and a regular politician.

In The Bible, we read how an anointed man of God, a prophet by name Balaam, allowed his love for power and money mislead him into accepting to curse the anointed of God after he had been hired by King Balak of Moab to do just that.

Eventually, Balaam recognized the folly of his ways after an angelic visitation which prompted his donkey to speak to him. This divine visitation caused him to repudiate the lure of money and power dangled by King Balak to whom he uttered the now very famous words “How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed?”-Numbers 23:8.

It was this historical incident that came to my mind when I read Professor Yemi Osinbajo’s words of condemnation on Twitter where he had said President Jonathan runs a “visionless” government.

Professor Osinbajo is an ordained pastor as I am and one of the ethics of our calling, enshrined in the homiletic code, is that men of God should not criticize out of a desire for personal gain, but should do so advisedly and only if there are genuine and compelling reasons to do so.

As a matter of fact, Philippians 2:3 says we should “do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves”.

Pastor Osinbajo regularly leads his congregation in prayers. But let me ask him if it makes any sense physically or spiritually to speak negatively about your nation and pray positively about yourself as if you can prosper in your home after cursing it with your mouth?

Nigerians expect Professor Osinbajo to wake up and smell the coffee and start telling them what he, his principal and their party plan for Nigeria and not to spend his time throwing stones at the innocent.

Gone are the days when you promote a candidate based on his region and religion. And Nigerians are far too aware in 2014-5 for any politician to grandstand by using highfalutin empty words to cast aspersions on his/her opponent in order to hide the inadequacy of their vision and plans.

I understand that when all you have is a hammer everything begins to look like a nail and so having nothing but criticism to dish out, Osinbajo is likely to keep throwing stones. However, seeing as he is a pastor, let me remind Professor Osinbajo of the immortal words of Jesus to critics in John 8:7-“he that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone”.

As we approach 2015, I would like to point out something to Professor Osinbajo.

In 2011, there were four major Presidential candidates: President Goodluck Jonathan of the PDP, Nuhu Ribadu of the ACN, Ibrahim Shekarau of the ANPP and Muhamaddu Buhari of the CPC.

Does it not say much about President Jonathan’s vision and his ability to communicate it effectively that of the three candidates who contested against him in 2011, two of them, Nuhu Ribadu and Ibrahim Shekarau, today share his vision for Nigeria and are helping him actualize it within the Peoples Democratic Party?

It says a lot about the President. And especially, it is evidence of the fact that President Jonathan is a man of vision.

Who knows, maybe Professor Osinbajo will see the light and come to appreciate the President’s vision after the 2015 election.

This has been a constant pattern with Buhari’s running mates from 2007’s Ume Ezeoke who saw enough reason to work with the PDP after that election, to Pastor Tunde Bakare, who shared and participated in the President’s vision for a National Conference for Nigeria.

In conclusion, let me say that it is obvious to all discerning people that God has blessed this man from Otuoke known as President Goodluck Jonathan. Without godfather, without scheming, without over ambition, God divinely set him on a trajectory that has seen him ascend the highest office in the land.

Even when power was within his grasp, the then Vice President Goodluck Jonathan refused to take it, preferring to wait on God to elevate him.

I can say without a shadow of a doubt in my mind that God has put President Jonathan where he is. And until He is done with him, no man, no pastor, no prophet can curse whom God has not cursed

Datsme:
Mba I wont read ds
SUMMARY pls

Meanwhile,

#PigDPMUSTGO!!! By May 29, 1999, we had 23 PDP governors, 6 AD, and 7 APP. Eight years after, this is their story: (A) PDP (23 governors) 1.
James lbori - PDP Delta - in prison for looting 2. DSP Alamieseigha - PDP
Bayelsa - Ex- convict for looting 3. Lucky Igbinedion - PDP Edo - Ex-
convict for looting 4. Peter Odili - PDP Rivers - In court for looting 5.
Chimaroke Nnamani - PDP Enugu - In court for looting 6. Ayo Fayose -
PDP Ekiti - In court for looting 7. Rasheed Ladoja - PDP Oyo - In court for looting 8. Alao Akala - PDP Oyo - In court for looting 9. Gbenga Daniel -
PDP Ogun - In court for looting 10. Ikenna Ohakim - PDP Imo - In court
for looting 11. Adamu Muazu - Bauchi (current PDP National Chairman) -
In court for looting over N19 Billion from the state treasury 12. Joshua
Dariye - PDP Plateau - In court for looting 13. Jolly Nyame - PDP Taraba -
In court for looting the state treasury 14. Abdulahi Adamu - PDP Nassarawa - In court for looting the state treasury 15. Boni Haruna - PDP
Adamawa - (newly appointed minister by President Jonathan) - In court
for looting the treasury 16. Saminu Turaki - Ex-gov. PDP Jigawa - In court
for looting the treasury 17. Orji Uzor Kalu - PDP Abia - In court for looting
the treasury (B). AD to AC, 6 govs NO Ex governor has ever been taken to
court for treasury looting. NOTE:- Tinubu of Lagos was dragged to Code of Conduct Tribunal for having foreign accounts while in power against
government policy of zero foreign account for public officials. He was
found not guilty because he had the accounts before his election to the
office of governor. Case dismissed. (C) APP - (ANPP) 7 governors 1.
Attahiru Baffarawa - APP Sokoto - In court for looting (he is now in a
PDP member) 2. Prince Abubakar Audu - ANPP Kogi - In court for looting. So APC made up of AD/ AC/ACN of the past is leading the pack. Does it
not make perfect sense to allow these people to lead at the center?
Culled from George Kaizer's wall. You may add the two ex-national
chairmen of PDP, Ahmadu Ali and Bamanga Tukukur whose sons are
facing multi-billion naira oil subsidy fraud charges. Let's protect our
future today! Do not survive with PDP voting bribe of #500 for another 4years. Say no to bribe and vote for CHANGE.

Abeg, All I want s CHANGE

klodike:
But most of this people you listed above are now in APC.

dunkem21:
Classic.

Verifiable facts supported and grounded with the scriptures.

dunkem21:
Classic.

Verifiable facts supported and grounded with the scriptures.

egift:


What did it say about Stealing and corruption that PDP are grandmasters? You should be ashamed of holding the straw for politicians who are strive very hard to stay out of jail.

klodike:
But most of this people you listed above are now in APC.

hizroyalflynes:

So also u be ashamed of holding the straw for politicians who claimed all the facts afore mentioned still means visionless
And have brainwashed their they will jail corrupt leaders something that is impossible if u still want 1 Nigeria and yet corrupt ppl are helping him to get d aso rock job

klodike:
But most of this people you listed above are now in APC.

HzRF:
o speak negatively about your nation and pray positively about yourself as if you can prosper in your home after cursing it with your mouth?

Nigerians expect Professor Osinbajo to wake up and smell the coffee and start telling them what he, his principal and their party plan for Nigeria and not to spend his time throwing stones at the innocent.

Gone are the days when you promote a candidate based on his region and religion. And Nigerians are far too aware in 2014-5 for any politician to grandstand by using highfalutin empty words to cast aspersions on his/her opponent in order to hide the inadequacy of their vision and plans.

I understand that when all you have is a hammer everything begins to look like a nail and so having nothing but criticism to dish out, Osinbajo is likely to keep throwing stones. However, seeing as he is a pastor, let me remind Professor Osinbajo of the immortal words of Jesus to critics in John 8:7-“he that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone”.

As we approach 2015, I would like to point out something to Professor Osinbajo.

In 2011, there were four major Presidential candidates: President Goodluck Jonathan of the PDP, Nuhu Ribadu of the ACN, Ibrahim Shekarau of the ANPP and Muhamaddu Buhari of the CPC.

Does it not say much about President Jonathan’s vision and his ability to communicate it effectively that of the three candidates who contested against him in 2011, two of them, Nuhu Ribadu and Ibrahim Shekarau, today share his vision for Nigeria and are helping him actualize it within the Peoples Democratic Party?

It says a lot about the President. And especially, it is evidence of the fact that President Jonathan is a man of vision.

Who knows, maybe Professor Osinbajo will see the light and come to appreciate the President’s vision after the 2015 election.

This has been a constant pattern with Buhari’s running mates from 2007’s Ume Ezeoke who saw enough reason to work with the PDP after that election, to Pastor Tunde Bakare, who shared and participated in the President’s vision for a National Conference for Nigeria.

In conclusion, let me say that it is obvious to all discerning people that God has blessed this man from Otuoke known as President Goodluck Jonathan. Without godfather, without scheming, without over ambition, God divinely set him on a trajectory that has seen him ascend the highest office in the land.

Even when power was within his grasp, the then Vice President Goodluck Jonathan refused to take it, preferring to wait on God to elevate him.

I can say without a shadow of a doubt in my mind that God has put President Jonathan where he is. And until He is done with him, no man, no pastor, no prophet can curse whom God has not cursed.

babyhrt:
When all a man has is a harmer...evrytin seems to look like a nail...

Seasoned response.