Odumeje Calls Out Pastors on Government Accountability

Days after Pastor Enoch Adeboye of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) said President Bola Tinubu was "doing his best" to tackle Nigeria's security issues, Chukwuemeka "Odumeje" Ohanaemere, a popular pastor from Onitsha, disagreed. He shared his thoughts on what religious leaders should do about government accountability.

Odumeje, who leads the Mountain of Holy Ghost Intervention and Deliverance Ministry, is known for his bold views on politics. He believes pastors should speak out against bad governments instead of seeking personal gain from them.

During a recent sermon, Odumeje called out Adeboye directly. He urged religious leaders to tell the truth, stating that elected officials answer to the people, not the other way around. He said, "I don’t want to talk to Adeboye; I don’t want to talk to that man. Do you know what they call a pastor? Go to the Bible, a pastor must rebuke a bad government. They shouldn’t look to benefit from it. We are fathers in the Lord. It is God who makes my voice heard in the world."

He continued, "It’s not because of you. It is for me to tell people the truth of what is happening, not for you. You don’t know me from anywhere. Any time you try to fight for the truth or speak against the evil government of Nigeria, they will pursue you."

Odumeje also warned Nigerians against praising government leaders. He reminded them that the government belongs to everyone. He said, "People are managing our resources and lavishing our resources, and we are praising them for managing resources that we sent them to look after for us. Governors, senators, presidents, or whatever you want to call them, they are there as your representatives. They are not there for you to serve them. They are there to serve every citizen of Nigeria, and they owe you accountability for the job you sent them to do."

He added, "We don’t know our rights in this country. That is why you see people celebrating ordinary roads. Many countries built theirs long ago and have already forgotten about them, yet here we are celebrating them. The road you build is not your money. As a governor, it’s not your money. As a senator, it’s not your money. As a president, it’s not your money. It’s the money of all of us, the citizens of Nigeria."

Odumeje insists that Nigerians must not stay silent about important issues. He believes politicians lack understanding of true national development. He stated, "I have always said this: let us not forget that there has never been anything the government has done for this country. There is no development. Nothing is happening. I have said it all along, to every Nigerian: we can never keep quiet. These are people who don’t know what the development of a country means. The only thing they know how to do is embezzle and share money. We are no longer boys; we are now fathers."

He referenced historical figures, saying, "Ojukwu was 31 years old when he realised that what these people call the government of Nigeria was a deceit against the Igbo people. And this young man, at the age of 31, started fighting for the rights of everybody, a whole nation, the people of Igbo land. What an intelligent man. I will always appreciate this man, the hero of our time. This is my forefather. This is what led to the battle (civil war). There was even a time when every Igbo person looked to him."

Odumeje criticized the idea of praising leaders just for holding office. He urged people to assess them based on their performance. He said, "Their children are overseas, attending international schools. But the citizens of Nigeria, who own the resources, have no good schools for their own children. This government is lying. That’s why everything is turning upside down. And that is the problem Nnamdi Kanu faces, too. If they know what these people are saying, why are they rejecting them? Why is there so much conflict in the northern region?"

He concluded, "It’s because there are a lot of resources, such as mining, gold, that you yourself may not even know about. That is why they are chasing many villages away. The villages being chased away are the ones with resources. Nigeria doesn’t know what is really going on. So the people doing business with this mining are now fighting a fake country, with fake leaders. I’m disappointed. My age feels like a failure. Ojukwu was 31 years old before he knew what was right."