By Evelyn Omotoye
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The Ondo State governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, has charged religious leaders to always tell the politicians the truth and guide them aright so as to enhance good governance and ensure sanity in the Nigerian polity.

The governor gave the charge at the weekend while addressing the congregation at the 2018 edition of Towards Revival Among The Nations (TRANS), which was held at the TRANS camp site in Iju, Akure North local government area of the state.

Akeredolu, represented by his deputy, Hon. Agboola Ajayi maintained that clerics are God’s representatives who should be able to guide the politicians aright and  tell them the mind of God for His people.

According to him: “The church and all spiritual leaders should say the truth always to the politicians without fear or favour. They should not chicken out where they are supposed to speak out the truth.

They should not worship money but preach peace, love and unity among Nigerians”.

Noting that “politicians are always desperate and ambitious,” the governor maintained that the church is the hammer to sharpen and correct the politicians  to do things right for the benefit of the citizenry and development of the nation at large.

He further urged various religious leaders to discourage vote buying and other electoral malpractices in all their sermons and teachings  and continue to pray that God should choose for the nation leaders that will put things right in the country.

The governor commended the programme saying it is a good platform for the church to interface with the government, while seeking more prayers and support for his administration and President Buhari’s government for them to be successful.

Speaking with  newsmen, the State Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, (CAN), Revd. Dr. Ayo Oladapo opined that religious leaders should  not be involved  in dirty politics, but play the role of kingmaker in ensuring that the products of the church are well discipled to emerge as forthright political leaders.

Earlier, the convener of the programme, Pastor Joshua Odeyemi of the Reconciliation House,  Akure who spoke on the topic “Nigerian Politics: The role of the church in shaping the nation” said the church has a vital role to play in salvaging the nation from its many challenges.

Odeyemi said the church is the salt and light of the world and as such should produce incorruptible leaders who would lead by example and bring the significance  of salt and light to bare in the midst of corruption, darkness and all manner of wrongs in the nation’s political sphere.

“The relevance of light is in darkness, hence the church is meant to be the light in the dark and corrupt society. Irrespective of how corrupt and decayed a nation is,  the church, being a salt, should be able to heal it. So Christians have to be involved in politics to shine as light and heal the system”, he stated.

While noting that the political terrain is very challenging. slippery, the church owe it a duty to pray for politicians, encourage them to do things right  and support their good intentions, wishing them well always.

One of the participants at the TRANS forum from The House Fellowship in Kwara State, Bro. Abraham Jolayemi expressed concern over the level of corruption and decay within the church itself nowadays, claiming that this has given birth to a corrupt society and has made it difficult to revive the system.