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 cannot 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”.

So let me ask, is it really true that President Jonathan runs a visionless government?
In fact, on a day that coincided with Professor Osinbajo’s day of casting stones at President Jonathan, Bill Gates was celebrating Nigeria’s ability to reduce incidences of the Wild Polio Virus from hundreds of cases just three years ago to only 6 cases in 2014.
Mr. Gates actions only corroborated those of the United Nations which earlier in the year had given President Jonathan an award celebrating Nigeria for eradicating the scourge of Guinea Worm infestation.
The truth is that not only does President Jonathan run a purposeful and visionary government; one can even begin to see the crystallization of his vision into tangible benefits for the Nigerian masses.
Professor Yemi Osinbajo is a pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God which has perhaps the largest indoor camp in West Africa along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

Every year, millions of Nigerian parishioners of the RCCG troop to The Redemption Camp. They are faced with terrible traffic gridlock as the multitudes try their best to get to the venue on time. The sheer number of users on that road overwhelms the capacity of the highway and members have been praying for an intervention that will ease their annual journey.

Enter President Jonathan, whose vision prompted him to initiate the Lagos-Ibadan High Speed Railway which is underway.
This service will not only facilitate the movement of RCCG’s parishioners to The Redemption Camp thereby easing the pressure on the roads, it will also make it possible to live in Ibadan and work in Lagos, with stops along the way.

The world renowned global consultancy, KPMG, which monitors trends, in November of 2014 included this High Speed Interstate Railway as one of the world’s top 100 infrastructure projects. KPMG praised the Jonathan administration for its vision in initiating such a project.
And it does not stop there.

Even the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, long abandoned to the elements by previous administrations, is at the receiving end of some of the fastest construction work in Africa. Two construction firms are working to reconstruct the road in record time. Julius Berger is working from the Lagos end while RCC is working from the Ibadan end with the intention to meet somewhere in the middle so that the work is completed in record time.

As I write this piece, the China Civil Engineering Construction Company, CCECC, has officially announced that it has rounded off the track laying work of Nigeria’s first standard gauge railway modernization project linking the capital city of Abuja and the Northwestern state of Kaduna.

This is another project that has come to reality as a result of the vision of President Goodluck Jonathan.

So, when Professor Osinbajo describes President Jonathan’s government as “visionless” it is obvious that he has left the objectivity of the pulpit for the subjectivity of partisan politics.
Or else, how can any objective person call the man under whose guidance Nigeria became the largest economy in Africa and the 26th largest economy in the world, visionless? Is such a feat possible without vision, without planning, without discipline?
Or was it President Jonathan’s lack of vision that prompted the United Nations to release data that showed that under Jonathan’s watch, Average Life Expectancy in Nigeria has risen from 47 years in 2009 to 52 years today?

Is President Jonathan “visionless” when all elections held under his watch have been adjudged credible and transparent? From Edo, to Anambra, to Ondo, to Ekiti to Osun and Niger, it has been a case of one man one vote, one woman one vote, one youth, one vote.

A few Nigerians may not like the President’s Transformation Agenda, but at least, all Nigerians have heard of it.
The million dollar question is who has heard of the agenda of Professor Osinbajo’s party other than the use of the cliche ‘change’?
Yes, Obama used the key words ‘yes we can` to ride to power in 2008, but he had a brain Trust that came up with a plan.
Are we meant to change for the sake of change?
I must confess that I am personally fed up with politicians who speak negatively about Nigeria and its leaders just because they want power.

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.

 
Reno Omokri, a pastor, is Special Assistant to the President on New Media.‎

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/12/vision-visionary-leadership/

Reno Omkri, a Pastor?? Chai! Ewu ataa mu igu n'isi!!!

No mind em...GEJ till 2019

APC News, APC Presidential Campaign News, Join APC BBM Channel, Pin : C00462FB9

A beautiful piece. Largely devoid of name-calling, while still achieving its objective of selling GEJ. The aspect I have issues with is saying Shekarau & Ribadu joined Jonathan's PDP because of the latter's vision. No Sir. They left APC cos they lost out in the new party's power play. All the same, a well-written piece.

If Reno Omokri is a pastor in a church, then it must be a church built with lies as it's foundation or church of the devil, where falsehood, evil and not true salvation is the main focus

Op, nigeria did not become the largest economy under Jonathan, we had been years back.

Give me unemployment figures

Child mortality figures

Give me living wage for the average nigerian

Show me progress in education

Show me anti corruption

Show me real inflation figures (market prices)

Tell me how many megawatts has been added to the National grid and how much was spent

Show me how many kilometers of roads had been repaired

Show me numbers of internally displaced refugees

Show me mortality rate

Show me FG housing

Show me nigerian University ranking worldwide

Show me

Show me

The list is endless.


Btw op never list elections as achievements, it makes you look desperate.

Obiagelli:
Op, nigeria did not become the largest economy under Jonathan, we had been years back.

Give me unemployment figures

Child mortality figures

Give me living wage for the average nigerian

Show me progress in education

Show me anti corruption

Show me real inflation figures (market prices)

Tell me how many megawatts has been added to the National grid and how much was spent

Show me how many kilometers of roads had been repaired

Show me numbers of internally displaced refugees

Show me mortality rate

Show me FG housing

Show me nigerian University ranking worldwide

Show me

Show me

The list is endless.


Btw op never list elections as achievements, it makes you look desperate.

Are you for real?

Guess you might be suffering from Amnesia

Today is Christmas! I don't have time to read long topics. What the heck is the Op talking about? I have had enough sermon in church to last me till 1st January.

STEALING IS NOT CORRUPTION

Here is professor Osibanjo view on Jonathan government, pastor Reno should respond to it and not the sermon he is delivering to his TANist member

The Vice-Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, has accused President Goodluck Jonathan of politicising the fight against the Islamist sect, Boko Haram.
Osinbajo argued that the present administration had failed to
“sincerely identify” the menace posed by the insurgent group.
The law professor also blamed the failure of the security forces to contain the excesses of Boko Haram in the ongoing war against terrorism on corruption.
Osinbajo stated this during a Twitter chat tagged #AskProfOsinbajo on Monday.
The Senior Advocate of Nigeria said, “The current administration
has politicised Boko Haram. The corruption around defence funds has created a situation where soldiers are not well equipped and motivated.
“General Mohammadu Buhari wiped off Maitatsine, another Islamic insurgency during his administration, by sincerely identifying the problem as a challenge to the authority of the state to maintain law and order.
“The administration took command and funded the military transparently and that is what we need to do now to end this insurgency.”
The former Lagos State justice commissioner said one of the fundamental problems bedeviling the nation today was the failure of the Jonathan-led Federal Government to tackle corruption head-on.
According to the presidential running mate of Maj.Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), it is saddening that under Jonathan’s government, there is “no consequence for corruption.”
He added, “One of the fundamental problems is that there is no consequence for corruption. I think that what everyone will agree to about a Buhari government is that it will not tolerate corruption.”

ochejoseph:


Are you for real?

Guess you might be suffering from Amnesia

The gdp was rebased (RECALCULATED) it hadn't been done since the 90s, stop fooling Nigerians. If anything, the economy is in shambles today.

Now that's how to criticize, Not all these name calling and hurling insults all over the place.

Sometimes I wonder if Nigerians are fools? Are we that blind that we cannot see the difference between Bad(PDP) and evil(APC)

APC Are Screaming Change! Change ! Change ! Change! . Tell me , How do you expect change to come from a clueless Party , whose main Goal is just to Unsit the president.? How do you Expect Change from a party that has Amaechi(Ruthless Thief) , Lai Mohammed (Liar-In-Chief) , Tinubu (Biggest Land Owner In Lagos) As members? How do you expect change from a Ruthless and Unrepentant Blood Sucking Vampire(Buhari} ? How do you want expect change from someone who once said he will make Nigeria Ungovernable?

Stop deceiving Yourselves. APC don't care about you . if they do , They will not wait till they're in power before They CHANGE Nigeria.

Let's admit this , No government will succeed if they face the same problems as Jonathan did. Terrorism Can disrupt progress in any country. Its not a matter of GEJ or Buhari. Let's all join hands to fight terrorism!

Think Nigerians! Think!

Wendy Slim is a pastor. Lmaoooo

Prof Osinbajo, Reno Omokri and Oche Joseph are all pastors of the redeemed Christian Church of God, but are divided by politics.
Now they have resorted to name-calling and quoting the bible to buttress their points.

My take? All of you are working for stomach infrastructure and not God. Shikina!

utumunta:
Prof Osinbajo, Reno Omokri and Oche Joseph are all pastors of the redeemed Christian Church of God, but are divided by politics.
Now they have resorted to name-calling and quoting the bible to buttress their points.

My take? All of you are working for stomach infrastructure and not God. Shikina!

Thats is the most annoying part, quoting the bible to tell loes, i am not surprised though, most of the private jet pastor got it with the bible. God is watching

From Reno O'Fvckery of all people. He's pained because the prof. called the government "vissionless", and says a pastor shouldn't speak like that, yeah?? Then he ends with the note "Reno O'fvckery, a Pastor and bla bla bla"

Now, does this Jonathan's pastor want us to show him some of his very "pastorly" tweets about the opposition??

What arrant bullucks.

RockMaxi:
Reno Omokri, did you just find your pastoral calling after the emergence of Osibanjo or what? The Reno that I have known since 2011 have not for one day mentioned anything about being a clergy talkless of being a pastor.
Please Renobajo, you can't take us for a ride. It is better you keep hiding your pastoral collar and don't soil it with the game of politics...

Then you don't Know him check all his publications 2011 till take and get Updated!

utumunta:
Prof Osinbajo, Reno Omokri and Oche Joseph are all pastors of the redeemed Christian Church of God, but are divided by politics.
Now they have resorted to name-calling and quoting the bible to buttress their points.

My take? All of you are working for stomach infrastructure and not God. Shikina!

Wrong!
The church must help a misfiring pastor retrace his steps!!!

Wittylens:
Sometimes I wonder if Nigerians are fools? Are we that blind that we cannot see the difference between Bad(PDP) and evil(APC)

APC Are Screaming Change! Change ! Change ! Change! . Tell me , How do you expect change to come from a clueless Party , whose main Goal is just to Unsit the president? How do you Expect Change from a party that has Amaechi(Ruthless Thief) , Lai Mohammed (Liar-In-Chief) , Tinubu (Biggest Land Owner In Lagos) As members? How do you expect change from a Ruthless and Unrepentant Blood Sucking Vampire(Buhari} ? How do you want expect change from someone who once said he will make Nigeria Ungovernable?

Stop deceiving Yourselves. APC don't care about you . if they do , They will not wait till they're in power before They CHANGE Nigeria.

Let's admit this , No government will succeed if they face the same problems as Jonathan did. Terrorism Can disrupt progress in any country. Its not a matter of GEJ or Buhari. Let's all join hands to fight terrorism!

Think Nigerians! Think!

@ Bold 1: whenever I see people talk like this all I see is them expressing in no ambiguous terms their naivety and total ignorance of all things political. Mr, in case you don't know it, know it today: the primary objective of the opposition party in any democracy anywhere in the world is to evict the ruling party from power and assume the mantle of leadership, and struggle to keep it through the delivery of democracy dividends to the people. Get that into your head.

@bold 2: Oh please, stop it. No one is gonna feel sorry for the president. When he fought to get into the office in 2011 he knew what he was getting into. Leadership is no child's play. And if we are to pardon him, say he was ignorant, what do we make of his desperation to retain the same office beyond 2015 Are we to feel sorry for him again even though he's now totally aware of how difficult it is to succeed under the prevailing circumstances??

Please tell us something else jor.

God bless the President. Nigeria shall know peace.

One lesson PDP's online PR team must learn from APC is: write short, straight forward articles laden with facts(sentiments), very few people read long write ups.

Obiagelli:


The gdp was rebased (RECALCULATED) it hadn't been done since the 90s, stop fooling Nigerians. If anything, the economy is in shambles today.

Interesting that Mr. Ochejoseph failed to respond to this.

Trying to remove GEJ is fighting against Gods will n it will never succeed. Gbam!

HNosegbe:


Interesting that Mr. Ochejoseph failed to respond to this.

He would not.

I would have loved to go into a more constructive argument with the writer but after realizing he is the Special Assistant to the President on New Media,I see no reason for that cos I believe he's just another PDP e-thug.

@Reno Omokri,it is Nigerians that gives power not God.
By the way,GEJ all the way.

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”.

So what should we call your insincere criticism of GMB and APC You just succeeded in shooting yourself in the head i swear

The only way to prove that you are against Gej or a "progressive" is by abusing the president. No matter how unrealistic the accusation is, just do it, it is enough for Tinubu. Osinbajo has the right to association but I believe he is also a man that has his own mind, he doesn't have to join in these baseless insults. We have seen achievements in this country even though a lot of forces are fighting the president. But I don't blame him anyway, he has to earn his nomination as the running mate and also has to prove that he is APC by talking his own.

When I see Buhari and Osinbajo, all I see is Tinubu behind making all the decisions. If Buhari wins, the govt will be run by Tinubu. And whenever I think of it, I pity this country, cos it will belong to only one man.

Tinubu chose APC chairman, APC running mate, he influenced the APC campaign DG and chief funder to join the party, he brought all the yorubas in ACN to APC. It is quite clear that, he rules APC and if they win, he rules Nigeria.