Christians all over the country have been called upon to always embrace peace and that the only way to achieve this is by way of rededication to duty and service of our various church leaders and above all, loyalty and commitment to the cause of the churches.
The Assistant Director, (Administration)/Head, Academic & Physical Planning (A&PP) at the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI), Effurun, Charles Ikedikwa Soeze, a mass communication scholar from first degree to doctoral level gave the advice recently as a guest speaker in a paper titled ''Leadership and Governance in our churches" at the annual Lenten retreat of the Lay Readers Associations, Effurun Deanery of the Catholic Diocese of Warri that took place at the church of Transfiguration, Sedeco Road, Effurun, Delta State.
The guest speaker made it abundantly clear that leadership in any place and at any time is a business for serious minds. In other words, we do not want leaders who are erratic, whimsical and vindictive.
He used the opportunity to condemn the perennial crises between the two religions, Christianity and Islam, the brutality and the wanton killings, reckless destruction of properties and looting sadly calls for a turning point.
Soeze pointed out that politicization of religion has been a persistent characteristic of our national existence, with its attendant challenge to our developmental efforts and good leadership adding that years of misrule by some past leaders have made religion a handy tool for the manipulation of the people by the ruling elites.
The guest speaker was not happy with the report of murderous activities of a religious group in the north, Boko Haram that has been disturbing, fuelling pessimism on the fate of our nation. What has been projected about the group is its religious face. This, he stated is a misreading of the situation and manipulation of religion to achieve certain political ends.
He emphatically stated that religion without education cannot bring good leadership and governance in our churches and mosques for it is a very potent way to disempower people. It is to deprive them of the hope and aspiration to make something meaningful out of their lives. It will only be used as an instrument of subjection and subjugation, without helping to address the material needs and aspiration of the people. In this connection, religion will ultimately lost its relevance, Soeze concluded.
Copyright: Fresh Angle International (www.freshangleng.com)
ISSN 2354 - 4104
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