Leadership (Abuja)
Edem Edem
2 October 2008
The Area Superintendent of Apostolic Church, Cross River State, Nigeria, Pastor (Prof.) Ekpe Eyo Offiong, has blamed past Nigerian leaders for failure of the country to attain greatness and development because they did not pursue spiritual freedom along side political freedom.
The clergyman stated this at a Christian worship service at the church, along Edgerly Road, Calabar, to mark Nigeria's 48th Independence Anniversary. He noted that 'due to lack of spiritual freedom on the part of our leaders, the present era, has become a sinful world where the gains of political freedom have been eroded, and people have kept in bondage in their land, making them suffer in the midst of plenty'.
"We have freedom to ignore the needy and think only of self, freedom to consume material wealth that you are capable and throw away anything that you don't like". These freedom, the Clergy stated is not freedom but enslavement of sin.
"It is imprisonment on one own desire and greed on the part of Nigerians".
Freedom, he said, is classified into two broad perspectives which he termed political and spiritual freedom.
He stated that during the colonial period, "We were mainly concerned with fighting for political Independence. He noted that the dream of those who fought for Independence was that all the resources with which the Nation was richly endowed, both human and material will be harnessed for the betterment of the country, but the reverse has been the case."
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