.. demands better attitude from Nigerians at Christmas
Nigerian leaders have been enjoined to use the opportunity of Christmas to develop a better attitude of service to the people they are leading and rule with the mindset of giving account to God after their sojourn on heart.
The District Pastor of the Gospel Faith Mission International (GOFAMINT), Ikere District in Ekiti State, Pastor Olumide Akinrotohun, gave the charge on Sunday at a combined Christmas Service held at the church’s Campground along Ikere-Akure Highway in Ikere Ekiti.
In his sermon entitled: “ATTITUDE,” taken from II Samuel Chapter 8,Verses 1-20 Pastor Akinrotohun urged political office holders to be compassionate on the people they are leading and work harder towards reducing poverty, hunger and other forms of hardship in the land.
The cleric condemned insatiable appetite for wealth acquisition by political office holders some of whom he alleged are hiding huge cash underground during a time majority of Nigerians are suffering the pangs of poverty, hunger and wants with many of them not knowing where their next meal would come from.
According to him, the attitude of some political leaders and other privileged Nigerians of inordinately acquiring wealth and living in massive affluence while majority are going to bed hungry is unacceptable and very reprehensible to God demanding a better attitude of conscious efforts towards assisting the poor and lifting them from poverty.
Pastor Akinrotohun also slammed oil marketers who are fond of inflicting hardship on the populace by hoarding petroleum products especially petrol and refusing to sell the commodity and government approved prices urging the petrol dealers to emulate one of them, Mrs. Victoria Samson, who sells the commodity at the approved price.
Pastor Akinrotohun also appealed to petrol dealers to desist from hoarding their commodity and sell to the members of the public at government approved prices to help reduce the suffering of the masses.
He called on federal and state governments to give urgent attention to dilapidated roads and public infrastructure across the country which have made their users to undergo harrowing experiences.
His words: “I was shocked recently by what I saw on the Net when they were evacuating huge bails of destroyed Naira notes hidden somewhere, bails of N1,000 notes that had gathered dust in a country where people are hungry and suffering.
“We are suffering in Nigeria because of the bad attitude of our leaders. Look at the dilapidated conditions of our roads around, it is because of the unconcerned attitude of our leaders. Should our government not change their attitude?
“Let our governments change their attitudes to the people they are ruling. Put your pride, money, status and other privileged aside, show compassion and concern for the people you are ruling.
“There was a day I spent three hours at a bad portion of a road in this town. Let us change our attitude for better. The attitude of the man in power will reflect in the lives of the ordinary people.
“Brothers and sisters, check your lives. You are hated not because you are old or you are young or you are rich or you are poor. It is because of your attitude; attitude is key to all relationships, our attitude must change for better.”
The church leader equally charged government’s across the country to accord priority to the welfare of workers and pensioners many of whom he said are finding it difficult to survive on account of arrears of salaries, pensions and gratuities owed them by the authorities.
The clergyman noted that positive change of attitude in the lives of Nigerians would go a long way in turning around the fortunes of the country and launch it among prosperous nations of the world.
The service featured prayers,praises and worship thanksgiving, testimonies, renditions by the children choir and adult choir, among others.