The Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, said on Friday in Abuja that although Nigeria had people who could pray, they lacked commitment to righteousness.
He made the remark at a Special Banquet to mark the 20th anniversary of Nigeria Prays, the pet project of former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon.
Osinbajo said that if the citizens truly believed in and walked in the ways of Jesus Christ whom they profess to adore and stood up for the truth, righteousness and justice, the country would clearly witness a turn-around.
According to him, there is the need to pray to God always but it is more important that Christians turn away from evil in order to make the country great.
“If we want to be a nation that can feed its people, we must turn from evil ways and work for righteousness. “When our pulpits preach righteousness, our people will rise up and become salts of the earth; Christians will stand up and be honest if we preach righteousness in the pulpit,’’ he said.
Osinbajo said that preachers had failed to tell the people that it was wrong to take bribe or accept money from government official, adding that nations that followed the principles of scripture had emerged great.
He said prayer and fasting were good, but that they were not enough to lift the country except the citizens turned away from evil.
“The principles of hard work, integrity and innovation are things that made other countries great and they are all in the gospel and if we follow the principles, we can be great,’’ he stressed. The vice president extolled the virtues of honesty, integrity and hard work of Gowon and urged Nigerians, especially leaders to emulate him.
