Rivers PDP Crises: Church, silent No More as God will overturn Injustice & Inequalities By Dr. Lewis Akpogena “Times had been when Christians thought and felt politics is dirty and Christians should not participate in politics. We are better informed now. If indeed politics is dirty, Christians should get in there and clean it up. And to get in; Christians must register in political parties as well as contest elections, to vote and to be voted for. The Bible likens us as the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Let Christians get in there and show the light” (Apostle G. D. Numbere, Former Chairman, South South Christian Association of Nigeria). The Church has been indifferent in the past to the challenges posed by political leadership. We have rather towed the line of praying to change things for better after they had gone out of hand. There is no doubt that we are all concerned about the situation of our nation in the forthcoming elections. More so, the Church is praying to enthrone the right candidates for 2015 elections. The right candidate is the one chosen by God and it will take a concerted effort to actualize this vision, hence Concerned Gospel Ministers’ Association. The unfolding political situation in Rivers State especially entrenched injustice, unfair and deceptive politicking of self centered interest of bulldozer politicking of messianic philosophy of threats, intimidations and combative agboro politicking that say only one Governorship candidate is able to overcome the other political party is deceptive and worrisome considering that Rivers State is unique and divinely programmed by God to bring out Nigeria greatness. The issue of zoning the governorship and other political office is not just a concern of Rivers ethnic groups but God is concern. Job 8:3 “Does God pervert judgment? or does the Almighty pervert justice?” “What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means!”(Rom. 9:14). “Just as it is written, JACOB I LOVED, BUT ESAU I HATED. What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? May it never be! For He says to Moses, I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I HAVE MERCY, AND I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOM I HAVE COMPASSION.(Rom. 9:13-14). “Now let the fear of the LORD be on you. Judge carefully, for with the LORD our God there is no injustice or partiality or bribery.(2 Chron. 19:7).” Speaking on the consequences of enthroning injustices and inequalities in the polity, God said: “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8) “Thus says the Lord: Do justice and righteousness, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor him who has been robbed. And do not do no wrong or violence to the resident alien, the fatherless, and the widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place. For if you will indeed obey this word, then there shall enter the gates of this house kings who sit on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they and their servants and their people. But if you will not obey these words, I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that this house shall become a desolation”(Jer. 22:3-5, ESV). Here God explicitly say, if justice, fairplay and equality is not maintained, the consequences will be there will not be a candidate to be enthrone as political leader and the house (party) shall be desolate. This is God speaking not ethnic group, self conceited politician. Speaking on turn by turn, A one time governorship aspirant, Deacon Akuro Parker in his manifesto rightly put this in proper perspective: “Returning to God is our sure hope and not the proposed turn-by-turn leadership philosophy that is creating discord in Rivers State. It is always God’s turn to produce a leader for a people and for a purpose. Only God knows the needs of man per time and not any ethnic group. Godly leadership needs heavenly wisdom and not just ethnic blood. It is what Rivers State will become that matters and not what an ethnic son will become. Moreover, the idea of turn-by-turn pre-empts God and introduces the syndrome of turn-by-turn stealing. The idea is very evil inclined and will never allow Rivers State to move forward. A sense of purpose for success in leadership comes by divine direction and not by ethnic rotation machinery. You cannot actualize a divine assignment in a natural way and expect perfect result. The source always directs the flow. A leader sourced by ethnic consideration will surely championed an ethnic agenda” Nevertheless, more detailed search of the Bible reveal more perfectly that God chooses leaders and set political leaders over people, community and nation sourcing them through priests/prophets/church from among the people with unwritten understanding constitution-rules of God (zone, tribe arrangement of where leaders for service should come from per time) not one individual throwing himself on the people claiming that him alone is qualified to lead. In biblical times, Moses and the nation of Israel have the understanding that God chooses leaders and through Moses the priest prophet assign leadership to different leaders from all the tribes (12 tribes were to select leaders to represent them no tribe excluded from leadership). See Exodus 18: 21,25-26, Numb. 11:16-29, 1 Sam. Chapters 9, 10, 16. God show that no ethnic group is discriminated against in leadership but God source and choose individual from the tribe ordained to rule per time using the priest prophets to anoint and enthrone political leaders to lead. In the New Testament Church God raise the priests, prophet, pastors in the Churches to to set in order and appoint leaders in the cities(Titus 1:5). To this end, the Church/pastors must not be apolitical any more as God as commanded that as light and salt of the world give direction to politics and politicians. Especially now that God is concern with what is going on in the politics of Rivers State politicians that have thrown decency and orderliness to the mud for self interest of individual to the common good of Rivers people. History is about being repeated. Why should Pastors/Churches be involved to Rivers State from the political deception, injustice and inequalities going on? When the Martin Luther King Jr. monument was dedicated recently in Washington DC, I was reminded that the civil rights movement in America was led not by a politician fulfilling campaign promises, nor by a popular evangelist bent on saving souls, but by a highly trained theologian who put his religious teachings into practice with a demand for justice for those who had suffered at the hands of the rich and the powerful. The Rev. King was a Baptist preacher who took his religion into the arena of racism, economics and social disparity. However, hatred caught up with him, and he was killed. Will Jesus Christ get involved and protest injustice and inequality? Yes, check what led Jesus to overturn tables in the temple and embarked on street procession with ordinary folks of His days against the political class in a Christian Community in Matthew 21. It is safe to say that Jesus was not crucified because he taught love and forgiveness or because he set about debating legal points with the scribes of his day. Jesus was crucified because he was seen as a threat to the powers-that-be. His brand of non-violent resistance, his manner of stirring the people and empowering the poor, were correctly judged to be challenging the political power structures of his day. None of this is to suggest that Jesus was a political rebel (a zealot), but it is to state that his mission of proclaiming the reign of God had profound political implications. Such implications became more evident in view of Jesus actions in the cleansing of the temple. Now the temple was not just a place. The temple was the symbol of the entire Jewish faith and its religious authority structure. Significantly, in two passion narratives the charge is brought against Jesus that he threatened the temple. In effect, what is being stated is that his teachings and actions were threatening the very basis of Jewish life. Although the gospel-writers refute this claim, there is evidence to suggest that in both subtle and profound ways, Jesus certainly did challenge some of the central practices and institutions of Jewish life. Jesus contextualized his faith and ministry to address and confront political powers of his days on injustices and inequalities. Church and Pastors, silence no more. In Rivers State, the politics and politicians have the understanding unwritten political arrangement of maintaining upland and riverine dichotomy of political parties fielding candidates based on this understanding not necessary base on competence in order to engender equity, justice and fairplay in the polity and among the different ethnic nationalities/senatorial units. In 1992, two combative frontline runners in NPN and SDP with one calling himself bulldozer with slogan agawu if he does not lead intimidating everyone that opposes his ambition were disqualified paving way for Chief Rufus Ada George backed by the Christian Community as led by Bishop Elkanah Hanson then. As l wrote in earlier article entitled: RIVERS 2015 GOVERNORSHIP: WHY THE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY WILL VOTE PDP CANDIDATES AND NOT NYESOM WIKE OR GOVERNOR AMAECHI’S APC history will repeat itself and any candidate determine to impose himself on the people no amount of money politicking going on and intimidation God will overturn and the right process and candidate will emerge from PDP from agreed zone that will address injustice and enthrone equity, peace and justice in Rivers State. As no throne or office is sustained by violence and bitterness. So also no one gets into office by violence and bitterness succeeds. Thrones or offices are sustained by righteousness. “A just king gives stability to his nation… only a stupid prince will oppress his people, but a king will have a long reign if he hates dishonesty and bribes... Those who plant seeds of injustice will harvest disaster, and their reign of terror will end” (Prov. 22:8, 28:16, 29:4, NLB). Godless politicians like Satan intimidates, issue threats on political and perceived opponents, use thugs and violence as against biblical injunction that says: “Do anyone of you want to live a life that is long and good? Then watch your tongue! Keep your lips from telling lies! Turn away from evil and do good. Work hard at living in peace with other. The eyes of the LORD watch over those who do right, his ears are open to their cries for help” (Ps. 34:12-15, NLB). Furthermore, the Bible exhorts that we should live in harmony. It is a life of peace that pleases God. And other people will approve of you, too, (Rom. 14: 17-20). Recently at national level, mayhem, violence, thuggery and politically inspired violence and killings has characterized our body polity. Some has encouraged and taken to violence in the name of religion. The truth that none of the religions encourages violence. God condemns violence and violent persons. The Bible speaks: “The Lord examines both the righteous and the wicked. He hates everyone who loves violence” (Ps. 11:5, NLB). “A man that doeth violence to the blood of any person shall flee to the pit: let no man stay him”. (Prov. 28:17). The Scriptures acknowledged that the city is full of crime and violence, which leads to God’s judgment and captivity (Ezek. 7: 23).Hence, God exhort “do violence to no man” (Luke 3:14). For “evil shall hunt the violent man to over throw him” (Ps. 140: 11). Our Concerns: The Association patterned after the defunct Rivers State Christian Elders Forum who in 1998/1999 was involved in mobilizing Christians to enthrone the Government of Sir. Dr. Peter Odili. We are concerned and involved because the Church has been indifferent in the past to the challenges posed by political leadership. We have rather towed the line of praying to change things for the better after they had gone out of hand. As God’s Servants, Ministers of the Gospel and custodians of God’s message to the Nation, we are concerned about the situation of our nation. Among many concerns is the quality of leaders who serve in different positions of governance. Our involvement in giving direction to our State and Nation in politics is based on the Biblical injunction that we, Christians are “light” and “salt” (Mt, 5:13-16) and that “when the righteous (those who have personal and intimate relationship with God) are in authority, the people rejoice” (Proverbs 29:2). How the righteous does comes into authority? Christians must be involved in electoral and political process. What happen in the polity affect the Church. The Church is ordained to give direction to the polity, politics and politicians. Hence we are involved. Silent no more. The Church must be involved to give direction to politics and politicians in Rivers State and the nation at large. First, we are called to be involved in government but not to depend upon it for solutions. When the Christians cares about their neighbours in practical ways, participation at the polls must be a part of that caring. Secondly, we are called to be involved not only by implication but by Christ directly. When he said, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s” (Mtt.22:21). He was telling us to respond to governments’ request of us. Our government requests participation of all citizens and special interest groups – and make no mistake about it, Christianity is a special interest group – for a specific reason. Our founding fathers envisioned a balance of power through healthy competition. They believed what would control each segment of society and advance society as a whole was the dynamic of the segment vying for dominance. If Christian does not participate with their perspective and power, they rob the Nigeria system. They also rob the Nigeria people of exposure to and the influence of the Christian perspective. Nigerian politics are competitive and complicatedly but politics provides one of God’s ways of maturing our thinking and testing our commitment. What relevant is prayers on behalf of politicians/political office seekers and preaching to them, if the Church, Christian Community and Pastors cannot unite to show the way in political and electoral process on issues that have the potential of distracting Church services and causing violence in entire State? If PDP crises in Rivers State is allowed to continue unchecked in the hands of power drunk politicians, we may not have people to preach to and evangelize? The Church must speak to the powers, politicians now and give direction. Rivers State need breathe of fresh air, uncompromising responsive, accountable and committed servant leadership with the fear of God. It is my belief that Rivers State can reach its full creative potential. This is only possible when practitioners embrace new thinking, new approach and new direction. More or also when we all respect the binding interest of us all, work by the rule and treat others as we will want to be treated. The ongoing injustice and inequalities in PDP Rivers State, discriminative structures, arbitrariness, unfair treatment, intimidation of other aspirants and exclusion of other ethnic group in the electoral process should be addressed promptly by the Presidency and National Executive of PDP less there will not been divinely chosen Candidates and the house PDP be left desolate. Why? Because l am involved l am concerned. You are blessed for life. To experience and encounter God in unusual way to meet your need visit/worship online:www:smhos.org. Have question, you may call:08033399821 or write: akpogena@yahoo. Stay blessed. Dr. Lewis Akpogena, A Christian Devotional Writer/Minister, Education Management and Media Consultant write from Port Harcourt. ,
Posted on: Tue, 04 Nov 2014 11:46:53 +0000
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