From: OKEY SAMPSON, Aba

National president of Nigerian Christian Graduate Fellowship (NCGF), Prof. Charles Adeyinka Adisa, has urged Christians in the country to embrace politics and join political parties of their choice, saying by so doing, they would have fulfilled one of the injunctions of Jesus Christ whilst on earth.

According to Prof. Adisa, “The constitution allows that; Jesus while on earth said ‘Occupy till I come’. If He said we should occupy, then we have to be there in every spheres of activities. We know that the effects of government and their policies affect everybody including the church. So, if we don’t participate we’ll not be able to make our voices heard.”

Adisa stated this in Aba, Abia State, during an outreach by the executive of NCGF.

He maintained that trying to separate the Christian faith from politics was a wrong idea as abstinence from politic will adversely affect Christians.

His words, “If Christians stay aloof from politics and we have somebody that is tyrannical and is against Christ that means all of us will be oppressed. The Bible says, pray for the peace of Jerusalem for in the peace of Jerusalem, you shall have your peace. So we pray for Nigeria. The Bible also says that, above everything, pray for your leaders and those in authority so that, we may leave a life of peace in all godliness.

“So, it’s the responsibility of the church/Christians to participate actively not passively. We also believe that the church should be the light and salt of the world. If the church is truly the light of the world and salt of the world, the church should have the responsibility of grooming leaders who will lead well and make impacts in the lives of people that will even make the Lord Jesus Christ proud.”

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He said if the Lord Jesus Christ wanted Christians not to participate in what’s happening here, he would have taken them to heaven with him.

The NCGF president said governance should be made less attractive to discourage people from trying to win elections in the country at all costs.

NCGF zonal chairman, Aba zone, Mr. Mbachukwu Kelechi said it is unfortunate that Christians in the country sit on the fence when it comes for politics which he opined was not in their best interest.

“When Christians sit on the fence and those from the shrines come and take over leadership of this country, whatever they do against God will affect everybody. This is why we don’t want to sleep and keep complaining.

“The NCGF has a focus for a better Nigeria and we’ve come for a zonal prayer to ask God to intervene in some tithing issues. We are not for the East, West, North or South. We are for one Nigeria. We believe that Nigeria has a place in God’s program. And we cannot get it right except if we go back to God and that’s why we’ve come here to pray.”

Kelechi said it would not always follow that for the fact a Christian failed while holding political office that other Christians would fail if they were in office.