A clergyman, Rev. Canon Udo Obioma, has said that Nigeria is in dire need of leaders rather than rulers currently holding positions of authority in politics, churches and other spheres of the national life.
Obioma said this on Sunday in a sermon during a thanksgiving service in honour of Mr Onyebuchi Ememanka, the Chief Press Secretary to Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu, on Sunday at St. Paul’s Anglican Church, Umuocham, Aba.
Obioma, who is the Proprietor of The Way To God Ministeris, Aba, said that the nation had more rulers than leaders.
According to him, leaders hear the people’s cry and they cannot sleep until things are put in their right place hence they refuse to be misled by sycophants.
In the homily, entitled “Dare to be like Daniel,” the cleric charged the governor’s aide and other political office holders to emulate the virtues of the biblical Daniel in their service to humanity.
He said that one could only actualise God’s plan for him by holding unto God and doing His wish rather than relying on god-fathers or other sources of power.
He, therefore, urged Ememanka to look up to God and follow His guidance, if he hoped to reach his destination.
He said that because Daniel honoured God, he received divine grace to serve under four kings, including Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, Cyrus and Darius.
The clergyman further challenged Ememanka to serve with the fear of God and not to soil his hands in order to elicit God’s grace like Daniel.
“Daniel was a carrier of God and every man or woman who is a carrier of God will be honoured and favoured by men and feared by demons.
“If a man does not soil his hands with demons, he will be honoured by God and men will seek you.
“So dare, like Daniel, to be clean and refuse to soil your hands in pursuit of your political career and you will get to where you are going,” Obioma said.
He said that changing Daniel’s name, which meant “God is my Judge” to Beltheshazzar, meaning “preserve him Oh Baal, an ungodly name, did not change his character.”
“Wherever you are today, know that people have been there before you and are gone and forgotten and so it will be for you with time.
“Daniel’s righteousness transformed a pagan king to a God-fearing man, can you defend and stand for God in your position of authority today?
In a speech, the governor, represented by his deputy, Chief Ude Oko-Chukwu, thanked God for giving Abia government a man like Ememanka.
He described the CPS as hardworking, saying that he had been galvanizing stakeholders to ensure the success of the administration.
He said that Ememanka had since his appointment built a robust relationship between the government and media, which had helped to further publicise government’s programmes and activities.
In a brief speech, Ememanka paid special tribute to the governor for finding him fit to be part of his administration.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the long list of clergymen at the service included Most-Rev. Uwaoma Ezuoke, the Archbishop Emeritus of Aba Province.
The event was attended by the governor’s wife, Nkechi, members of the state executive council, state legislators and other top government functionaries.
