Misplaced Piorities; Like The People, Like Their Leaders - Akingbade Thomas

The first 3 largest evangelical church buildings in the world, are in Nigeria.

Six, out of the first eight are in Nigeria.

The number six is the deeper life church building. Built by Pastor Kumuyi, the highest ranking tale bearer of end of the world joke. His best line; "are you prepared for the rapture?"

The Dome built by Paul Enenche is put at building cost of about ₦7billion.

Five hand of God, a 120,000 seating capacity church, built by David Ibiyomi costs billions too.

The faith tabernacle built by David Oyedepo about 20 yrs ago, is said to now have building cost of about ₦15billion.

All these church buildings that dots every nooks and crannies of Nigeria, cost billions of naira in construction.

From our cities to villages, the most beautiful and expensive buildings are church buildings, followed by buildings of profligate Nigerian politicians.

The question is, all these billions of naira imprudently squandered on these church buildings that are of no real economic value, are sourced from where?

The very 2/3 poor Nigerians, political rogues and gullible folks contributed the billions.

Go to any small town in Nigeria that has no church building, tell the people that God laid it in your heart to build a house for him.

From the chief of the town to the poorest, will rally round you and donate money and physical labour that will ensure that the church is built in record time.

You know what? The church building will be the most beautiful and expensive building in that town.

Now, go to the same town as an industrialist. Let's assume the town produces cashew in abundance.

Tell them you wish to build cashew processing factory in the town and you want their equity contributions.

That idea will forever remain a dream. You won't get any meaningful support or encouragement.

That's how we are mostly wired in our individual brains in Nigeria. If religious idiocy isn't causing it, ethnic bigotry is.

It's this individual anti real growth and development, that gave rise to the collective directionlessness and planlessness that characterised our institutionalized leadership organs.

What's the real economic value of these church buildings that have swallowed billions?

Will the billions have made difference in the lives of the people buffeted by poverty in these churches, if such humongous billions were invested in productive economic ventures for the poor members?

These gullible heads say something like; it's our money, we have right to spend it as we wish.

Yes you have the right.

Only if you will stop spreading and aligning with the malicious and hypocritical wailing, because it's not criticism, of your Bishops and Pastors against government failure at charting economic growth.

You and your Bishops are worse. Because you failed at the level of individual leadership.

Pastors and members that can't fashion a cooperative system of cluster productive economic at the micro level, but can raise billions to build useless and liability prone church edifice, are as dumb as leaders of government that can't do same.

Now that all these multi billions worth church buildings are shut down now, no economic exigency is calling for their soonest reopening.

Only the Bishops and Pastors that own those business centres called churches, are losing money, not you the poor members.

If you stop giving Oyedepo money, let's see how he maintains that big faith tabernacle and service his 3 private jets.

It's a matter of time, without your maga money, all those liabilities will go into ruins.

Evidences abound in Europe. Cathedrals are falling into ruins because no member is giving the church money.

Hope you will borrow sense this time and start living a renewed life, fashioned after intelligent thinking and behavior, when this present turbulent times are over.

© Akingbade Thomas