Nigeria: Bishop Advises Priests To Inspire Hope

The Bishop of the Church
of Nigeria Anglican Communion, Okigwe South Diocese, Dr David Onuoha, has advised clergymen to stop sending messages of hopelessness to Nigerians.
Onuoha gave the advice in his Episcopal message at the ordination of five priests at St. Barnabas Anglican Church Abueke in Ihitte-Uboma Local Government Area of Imo State.
He said that the current political, social and economic challenges in the country should not be used to create despondency among the people.
The bishop said rather, the clergy men should inspire hope among the people, as the situation was not permanent.
“If you listen, you keep hearing stories of economic recession, job losses, and non-payment of salaries and pensions, political squabbles among politicians, problem of Boko Haram, Niger Delta Avengers, Biafran agitators and kidnapping.
“These situations are not enough for ministers of God to charge the atmosphere with frightening messages to the people.
“You should rather inspire hope and confidence because our God is God of hope and a living God’’, he said.
According to him, Nigeria will overcome current challenges if the people imbibe the right virtues and trust in God.
“Nigeria will smile again, what is happening to us today does not mean that things had gone completely bad, God is on the throne and will not abandon His people’’, Onuoha said.
The bishop hailed the anti-corruption campaign of President Muhammad Buhari and called on those opposing the policy to have a rethink.
“Corruption before now has been a big monster plaguing the growth of Nigeria, that we produce a president who summoned courage to fight corruption is a nice development in our history.
“Saying that Buhari’s anti-graft fight is partial is not the issue, let him deal with people he wants to deal with, someday he will handover to another person and that person will then deal with the corrupt persons that Buhari shielded’’, he said.
Onuoha said that the war on corruption should also be extended to states and local governments.
The bishop urged Christian and Muslim leaders “to de-radicalize religion”, so as to address rising cases of religious extremism in Nigeria.
“All the teachings that fuel intolerance should be expunged, because religion prepares people to love each other, not hate human beings’’, Onuoha said.
Our correspondent reports that those ordained were Bright Ndubueze, Samuel Edeh, Oweneho Felix-Emeka, Ikechi Nwagu and Ogbonna Nwabueze.
It was the first ordination at the Church since the creation of Okigwe South Diocese in 1994.
One of the new priests, Rev. Bright Ndubueze said he received the message of the bishop with open mind and promised to use his strength and wisdom to win more souls to God.