Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN, has called on Christian leaders to embrace strategic involvement in governance and politics to produce credible leaders for the nation’s development.
National Director of the Directorate of Public Governance, DPG, Pastor Femi Emmanuel, at the Oyo State Political Summit held in Ibadan Monday, underscored the importance of strategic involvement of the church in governance.
Emmanuel noted that the church was not to be partisan, but rather put structures in place to produce stakeholders who would be delegates toward electing candidates for various elective positions in Nigeria.
According to him, prayers without actions are like an arrow shot with no focus or destination.
The cleric said the cooperation and collaboration of all leaders would give the church a common front that could influence governance positively.
He said: “the church needs strategic planning to influence the 351 wards and 33 local government areas in Oyo State.
“The church will have a representative of the PFN’s DPG called a Church-Officer-in-Politics who will register all the adults of a particular church and train them,” he said.
Emmanuel noted that politics in Nigeria is embedded in the grassroots at the ward levels, saying strategic planning from that level would help it build political structures that could deliver good governance.
“Politics is about structure and platform,” he said.
The cleric added that this would bring an end to “stomach infrastructure politicking” and the rule of a few in governance.
Emmanuel, a former Deputy Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, stressed that PFN DPG would not support any political party or candidate, but would raise delegates who would influence would-be candidates for elective positions in Nigeria.
The Oyo State Chairman of PFN, Reverend Samson Ajetomobi, said next to God’s power is political power, urging church leaders not to confront government for whatever reason.
He said the unity of the church should be such that it influences the world for God and not vice versa, adding that the church should be active in politics and governance.
Citing scriptures from the Holy Bible, Ajetomobi highlighted Isaiah 9:6, saying leadership positions are for the mature.
“Leadership transitions from a child to a son; you don’t give leadership to a child but a son.
“The church is designed by God to run the government of the world and of the church.
“When we stay away from the running of the world, then we have done a disservice to ourselves.
“Daniel influenced four kings and politics in his time,” Ajetomobi said. NAN
