Nigeria @65: Only love, forgiveness can heal Nigeria’s cracks – Apostle Udiah
The Lead Pastor of The Mount Zion Lighthouse Full Gospel Church Inc., Nyanya Diocese, Apostle John Udiah, has urged Nigerians to embrace love, forgiveness, and unity as the only pathway to healing the nation’s deep divisions and restoring lasting peace.
Speaking during the church’s National Unity Service held in commemoration of Nigeria’s 65th Independence anniversary, Apostle Udiah said the country was still struggling with disunity, poor leadership accountability, and lack of transparency, despite six decades of independence.
“Our sovereignty is not complete, it’s not full because many of us Nigerians are still under captivity and this is quite, quite unfortunate,” he said.
“Hence we are tagging the message I just shared with the congregation that God will fix our nation.”
The cleric lamented that Nigeria’s challenges were largely a result of the absence of truth and sincerity in leadership and the failure of citizens to forgive one another.
“There are so many cracks, there are so many breakages, there are so many damages in the states called Nigeria and we pray God to fix this nation. These cracks are happening because of the inavailability of transparency in leadership, inavailability of accountability in leadership.”
Apostle Udiah explained that the cracks extended beyond governance to social relations, where citizens continue to discriminate against one another based on ethnicity and regional sentiments.
The cleric emphasized that God intentionally made Nigeria a diverse nation, urging citizens to see their diversity as a source of strength rather than division.
“These cracks are in this nation because we refuse to forgive one another because we segregate among ourselves as a people.
“A northerner wouldn’t want a southerner to arise to a particular level. A southerner is angry because of one marginalization or the other and this is not right. I want to employ us to use the eye of love to see every man, to see every woman in this nation, Nigeria.
“God has made no mistake to bring us together from the north, from the south, from the east and from the west and make us one Nigerian.
“So let us see ourselves as such. Let us embrace peace, let us embrace harmony, let us embrace oneness, let us embrace love.” He said
Apostle Udiah also decried the hypocrisy of Nigerians who are hospitable to foreigners but hostile to fellow citizens.
“They see us as very receptive, embracing visitors, embracing other nationalities but among ourselves we are like a house that is divided against itself,” he said, urging leaders at all levels to promote unity and love among the people.
Speaking further, he commended the federal government for recent improvements in the economy, particularly the gradual reduction in the prices of staple foods.
“I am glad when I discover that the economic situation in Nigeria, prices of especially food stocks, stable foods, these prices are coming down. This is a plus to this administration but we need them to do a little bit better than what they are doing,” he said.
Apostle Udiah further prayed for national peace and progress, expressing faith that God would guide the nation to a better future.
“My prayer is that God will help this nation and help the leaders of this nation to lead us all right. That we will navigate in no distant time to the promised land. God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria. God bless this country in the name of Jesus. Amen,” he declared.
