Bishop Charles Ighele and wife, Rev. Carol cutting the birthday cake.
By Odinaka Uruakpa
Nigerian leaders have been tasked to ensure that the dignity of the citizenry is restored and that humans are made the centre of development of the country.
The charge was given by Bishop Charles Ighele, General Superintendent, Holy Spirit Mission, a.k.a. Happy Family Centre, Akowonjo, Lagos, during his 70th birthday celebration held Tuesday in the church premises.
Ighele urged leaders not to think only about acquiring power, but systems and agenda that can bring about positive change in the narrative of the nation.
Said he: “Nigerians have been corrupted right from the 60s. They’ve been made to live like bad people. The average Nigerian will not behave better than the average Ghanaian.
“Recently, we went to Benin Republic, we saw Okada people wearing their helmets. In Nigeria, they are not wearing helmets. So, you see, there is something wrong with us as a nation, as a people. People have been corrupted into bribery. So that the typical policeman needs to become a beggar. Everybody becomes a beggar. And the leaders really need to wake up and restore human dignity.
“I keep saying that the human being is the centre of development, not bridges, not airports. No. When God created everything, the stars, the moon, everything in place, He now created the reason for creation, which is man. So, you see, roads are being constructed, buildings being built, but the human being in Nigeria is not living the best of life”.
The cleric said Nigerians, especially the youths, were residing in the remotest villages of other African countries, especially Ghana, where they push trucks, selling things because the Cedi has more value than the Naira.
Said he: “See Ghana that Nigeria was far better than. I won’t talk about Singapore, all those things. So, you see, it’s a shame really that we can be at this level. And instead of us to think about development, we think about how to be in power. I’m not criticising any leader. I’m talking to all of us, you know.
“When Trump and the rest from other nations were contesting elections, they say with this agenda, I can change America, I can change this country. They bring their own system to want to bring about a change. But here, we contest just to be in power, not for development. So, everything gets crashing; education, everything”.
“The question of labour, zero. Capital; the poor can’t have access to capital for development.Then, entrepreneurship, where most of our entrepreneurs, people who should be up there, they sell by the roadside, apart from a few who escaped. Then, land, that’s a big problem.”
He urged the leaders to know the factors of production, and how they can be harnessed properly.
Ighele said at 70, he was launching out what he referred to as his glorious final term.
Said he: “When I was 50, for me it was just a celebration, just an enjoyment. When I was 60, I said, hey, the second half of my life starts.Then at 70, I am launching out what I will call my glorious final term. You know, term is in 40s. Glorious final term. So, I feel so motivated, I’m so happy. I’ve never felt happier in my life because of what I want to do. People have to be moved out of poverty into the Kingdom of God. So, I’m happy and I feel fulfilled, excited”.
The man of God said the church was not yet the salt, nor the light of the nation, adding that Christians needed to live the normal Christian life, as stated in Gal. 20:20, “Crucified with Christ”. That’s the normal Christian life.
He said many are born again, but are not kingdom-minded, adding that they think like unbelievers, talk like unbelievers, and lie like unbelievers.
Noted he: “We are not living the Christian life. So, my motivation is how to get things done the proper way. So, that is my motivation. And I don’t want to be a part of the crowd at all, no matter how popular that may be”.
Said the Cleric on the future, and listing poverty alleviation projects: “I see ahead of me a bright future. That is why I say that this is my glorious final term. It must end in glory. And I’ll be so happy to see how my goal is to get people out of poverty. That’s my goal, to get people out of poverty.
“You must build people to have a sense of self-worth. The greatest gift of man is to be loved. That is the greatest gift of man. To be loved. To be loved and respected”.
On his success and role of his wife, he said: “You see, the matter there is that I have a wife who is not covetous. She’s not hungry for fame. She’s not hungry to be rich. And she just follows me. We follow each other. So her role has been the kind of wife that I need. Not a wife who will make me feel inadequate. Not a wife who will make me feel as if I’ve not achieved enough.
“She will say, darling, don’t worry. Don’t worry. You are trying. You are trying. Let’s move on. So, she’s my number one encourager”.
