By Babs Oyetoro
General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, yesterday gave a damning revelation about the state of the nation, saying Nigeria is moving steadily towards bankruptcy.
The celebrated cleric, who is possibly worried over reports of unaccounted crude oil that had been siphoned out of the country in the last few years, lamented that 80 percent of what should have been the income of a nation was going into the hands of a few greedy Nigerians.
Speaking at the Church’s thanksgiving Service held at RCCG Ebute Meta, Lagos, Adeboye also said God has not spoken to him about the 2023 election.
In the last few weeks, the House of Representatives resumed a probe on the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and other stakeholders in the oil sector over several millions of barrels of crude oil that had been stolen.
Just last Thursday, the Senate Committee on Finance also commenced an investigative hearing into an alleged sale of 1.7 million barrels of crude oil. The product was seized by the Nigerian Navy between 2021 and the first quarter of 2022 and handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The anti-graft agency was expected to prosecute the oil thieves, but there was, however, an allegation that the EFCC allegedly sold the product.
•80% of Nigeria’s income is being stolen by a few
However, Adeboye queried, “Where’s the money going to? Eighty percent of what should have been the income of a nation is going into the hands of some people- that is a lot of money. What do they want to do with the money?
“Who are the foreign nations buying these stolen oils? Who is buying the oil? Are you even sure that the people buying the oil have your interest? If these continue, we might be sliding to bankruptcy.”
He lamented that though Nigeria was able to settle its debt during then President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration, the nation has plunged deeply into the mire of debt.
•Unlike 2019, God has not spoken to me about 2023 election
The well-respected cleric, who recently clocked 80, also said he does not know if there will be an election in 2023 yet.
He said God spoke to him about the 2019 elections more than a year before the election, but He has not spoken to him about the 2023 election.
The octogenarian cleric added that God might still speak to him about the 2023 general elections.
“As of now, I still don’t know whether or not there will be an election next year, yet. I don’t know because my father has not spoken about it yet. The reason could be in Mathew 6-34.
“For your information, if anyone comes to me from any political party, I will pray for them, the general prayer point I pray for them is that Father, let your perfect will for this person be done.
“If witches are concerned about the affairs of the country, then Christians too must be concerned and involved,” he said.
“I have never told you this is the fellow you should vote for. I have never said this is the party you should belong to and I will never say it.
“Listen to me carefully and if you are going to quote me, quote me correctly. I am talking to those of you who are my children. Do you want to know the truth? And nothing but the truth? I am talking of myself now.
“As of now, as I am standing before you, I still don’t know yet whether or not there would be an election next year. Don’t say that Pastor Adeboye said there would be no election next year; that’s not what I said. Adeboye does not know yet, but the word ‘yet’.” he added.
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Adeboye said he needed to make the clarifications because there had been several misleading articles about certain instructions that had been passed to all members of the church.
“Let me make it loud and clear and please, I want you to listen with anointed ears and anointed hearts. Pastor Adeboye is not and will never be a politician. I have never been and will never be. That’s not my calling. My assignment has nothing to do with partisan politics,” the cleric said.
His comments may not be unconnected to a recent report that the RCCG was set to create a Directorate of Politics and Governance in the church as part of efforts to properly position itself ahead of the election year.
Speaking further, Adeboye, explained why he believes he is yet to hear from God concerning the elections.
According to him, 2023 is still a long time away and there are many problems bedeviling the country that need to be addressed first such as insecurity and economic matters.
“I have a lot of things now occupying my mind for which you, my partners must join me in prayers. One of them is Kaduna. You can’t go to Kaduna by road or by air or by train”.
The cleric, however, said he was more concerned about praying for Nigeria to get out of its depressing throes than the 2023 elections.
