Draw strength only from God to avoid falling, Okoh charges church leaders

The Metropolitan and Primate of all Nigeria, Most Rev’d Nicholas Okoh, has advised church leaders across the country to rely on God alone in order to overcome temptations.

Okoh who doubles as the Archbishop of Abuja Province said this in an interview with newsmen after the 9th Convocation of Crowther Graduate Theological Seminary in Abeokuta, last Friday, that clerics must learn to draw spiritual strength from God.

According to him, there is no group of people who are free from scandal, adding that scandals involving the church, however, get blown up because church leaders are seen as custodians of morality.

“What we are saying is that people should not pretend. What they are not, they should not say they are. They should not give the impression to anybody that they are above everybody either in terms of spiritual power or anything because only God can sustain somebody. If they learn to rely on God more, then they would not fall.

“The more they are worshipped by their followers, such things get into the head of some people and even make them violate the marriage vows of some people, which is not healthy at all. It is condemnable,” the cleric noted.

ALSO READ: Federal High Court commissions Alternative Dispute Resolution center

Speaking on the suspended RUGA Settlement across the country, Okoh urged the federal government to let peace and the collective will of Nigerians prevail over the project.

The Primate said, “Federal Government in recent times has been treading on the very provocative road, and I think that you do not deliberately cause trouble in your own house. Whatever it is, we are praying for peace.

“We would continue to pray for the federal government that wisdom will prevail. That the country will be at peace in the East, West North and South so that a particular group of people will not be elevated above everyone.”

The theological school graduated 216 students with different academic and biblical degrees of the seminary.

The seminary also conferred honorary awards on some individuals which include the Archbishop of Ecclesiastical Province of Ibadan, Dr. Segun Okubadejo, wife of the former governor of Kwara State, Deaconess Omolewa Ahmed among others.