Religion has failed Nigeria, says cleric

Nigerians have been advised to depend on God and demonstrate love to their neighbours for national growth and development. The Bishop Manna Prayer Mountain, Dr. Chris Kwakpovwe, made this made call last week at the bi-annual prayer and fasting service of the ministry in Lagos. The theme of the service, which held simultaneously in Benin, Abuja, Southern America, Australia and other parts of the world, was “The owners of evil load must burn.” Kwakpovwe said many Christians are carrying the loads belonging to the devil out of ignorance and failure to believe God. The pharmacist- turned- preacher emphasised that God is still in the business of saving souls, healing those oppressed, delivering the broken-hearted and setting the captives free from every bondage and shackle of life. According to him: ‘’God will not lie concerning His precious promises and His power to do the miraculous still remain efficacious as ever before in our generation.” He attributed increasing cases of corruption, injustice, marginalisation and civil unrest to the absence of love among Nigerians. The preacher said these unpalatable are consequences of religious sentiments, saying, focusing on religious differences leads to neglects of goods among others. He said Nigerians must break down the walls of religion and build ladders of tolerance and mutual respect. Kwakpovwe, who was ordained bishop recently, pointed out that Christianity has failed. He lamented that many bishops are killing, poisoning and tearing themselves apart because of money, fame and power. He stated: “God wants me to take the title of a Bishop to cleanse the system polluted with sin and occultism. “What Bishop means to us is the zenith of Christendom but it has become a den of occultism. “It is a highly exalted office but polluted as some Bishops have become politicians and lost the original message God gave to them. They set themselves up, they poison and kill themselves.” He called on Nigerians to focus on genuine love towards their neighbours regardless of religious differences. From The Nation Newspaper