The grim realities of insecurity and destruction of life and property, as a result of the Boko Haram insurgency in some parts of the North, would, no doubt, cast a shadow ontomorrow's celebration of Nigeria's 52nd anniversary. The radical sect, among its demands, seeks imposition of Sharia law in the country. Religion not only forms an intrinsic part of Man's existence, its selfish manipulations and adversarial practice also has the capacity to affect peace and progress of the society. To assess the role of religion in five decades of a nation's struggles to reach the Promised Land, some clerics spoke to CHRIS IREKAMBA, ISAAC TAIWO and OLUWAKEMI AJANI.'It Is At The Heart Of Crises'(Pastor Wale Adefarasin, National Secretary, Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) and General Overseer of Guiding Light Assembly, Ikoyi, Lagos)I THINK that Nigeria has been a very religious country. We've had the three main faiths ' Christianity, Islam and animism where Christianity and Islam are by far the major religions. Today, most Nigerians have a religion. Religion has been at the heart of some of the crises we've had over the past 52 years. And at the same time religion has been at the heart of solution of the crises. I think religion has a very major part to play in the life of Nigerians. Now, looking at it from a Christian standpoint, I believe religion is crucial to the development of any society. Why' Because in our faith, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ said: 'Ye are the light of the world.' He said: 'Ye are the salt of the earth.' In other words, if you were not here, there will be no light.And if you are not here the earth will not have flavour. It will not be salted. I think Christ's statement gives the Church a considerable amount of responsibility in being the light of this world, in being the light of Nigeria.'A Key Factor In Upholding Moral Standards, Peaceful Coexistence'(His Grace, Most Reverend Emmanuel Josiah Udofia, Primate of the African Church and President, Christian Council of Nigeria)INDEPENDENCE has spiritual and physical implication in the life of the citizens of a country. It is about liberation in all ramifications' political, economical, social, religious etc. The Bible says we shall know the truth and the truth shall set us free. So, freedom is very essential for humanity as bedrock for genuine human development. Religion plays a very significant role in nation building. The importance of religion in any society cannot be overemphasised. It serves as vehicle towards achieving meaningful development. Religion builds the moral standard of people and brings about peaceful co-existence, which results in progress of a nation. Religion has impacted greatly in the life and conduct of Nigerians by providing social infrastructure such as schools, hospitals, banks, roads and affordable houses for adherents and others.It is on record that many of our political leaders, captains of industries and economists that drive the ship of our country today and even in the past are and were products of mission schools. Some others benefitted in church scholarship schemes and educational support programmes.The decadence Nigeria is undergoing in the political sector would have been worse today but for spiritual and physical contributions the religious institutions are providing.Although, the moral standard of our nation has fallen, this can be attributed to the policy of government that stopped religious education and moral studies in our institutions of learning, and also the withdrawal of public schools from mission-based organisations. But with the introduction and establishment of religious private schools, our value system and ideals would be revived.Prayers offered in churches, mosques and other places of worship every time go a long way in the spiritual uplift and nourishment of our dear nation. Today, Nigerian evangelists and pastors are sent abroad for mission work with aim to evangelise the world.I sincerely congratulate our dear country on her 52nd independence anniversary celebration and wish her peaceful and prosperous years ahead.'There Is Decline In Adherence To Religious Tenets'(Godwin Ifeacho, Chairman, Executive Board, God's Kingdom Society (GKS), Salem City, Warri, Delta State)DEVELOPMENT is concrete experience of both quantitative and qualitative transformation of the life of a people. Religion is a system of beliefs in a deity (in the Christian context, is God Almighty, worshipped through our Lord Jesus Christ) and the doctrines and practices that characterise the worship of these personalities.The relationship between religion and development is dialectical ' they affect each other. Christianity imbues people with the virtues of hard work, self-reliance, love and respect for one another, honesty and thrift. It teaches us to pay our taxes and pray for the leaders so that they would rule in the fear of God, to abhor violence, etc. These qualities, when internalised and lived, make a people strong, healthy, innovative and successful. There is no doubt that a development-oriented societyfacilitates the spread of the gospel. Unfortunately, the adherence, over the years, of an increasing number of Christians in Nigeria to their religious beliefs, appear to be declining in relation to the increase in churches and the growth in her population. The impact of religion on Nigeria's development has been mixed. Religious groups have helped the educational and moral development of the nation through the setting up of schools, hospitals, orphanages, etc. Most of the elite that took the reins of government after independence and even until recent years were products of mission schools. Presently, more churches own universities than ever before. This has helped provide opportunity for upward mobility for many people, closed the gap between the rich and the poor as well as reduced the dependence of the poor on the rich.Christian Religious Knowledge has been in the curriculum of public and private schools in Nigeria even before independence and the knowledge gained has no doubt shaped the attitudes of many of those who passed through Nigeria's school system.However, the country has been embroiled in many internecine conflicts because of religious differences, especially when politicians used religion and ethnicity as cover for the pursuit of their political agenda, as they 'struggle with one another for commonly prized objects of value'. Religious conflicts have been more pronounced in the North, with political events taking a religious dimension, now and then, starting with the 'Araba' riots in the North in 1966, in which thousands were killed. Such riots have taken place sporadically in the 1980s, and early 1990s, before the Jos crisis and Boko Haram came into the picture lately, and has refused to go away.In the politics of present day Nigeria, secret societies are now apparently in the ascendancy with members being initiated while they are still in school.This means that whereas some claim to be Christians, they are less concerned about living up to the tenets of the faith as in maintaining their adherence to the secret societies they belong to. Merit is thus being sacrificed for opportunism and narrow self interests.It must be admitted that in Nigeria, there are 'two-faced religious leaders' who 'feast on the gullibility of the average Nigerian' and who close their eyes to the shenanigans of the leaders,pretending that all is well' (The Guardian, Sunday October 17, 2010, page 61). But despite the fact that Nigeria persists in an ethical free fall, despite the claims of some Nigerians to religiosity, yet true Christians must strive within the means at their disposal, not to shirk their responsibilities to the nation by not pleasing men but God Almighty, in the interest of His sheep in all walks of life. See 2 Corinthians 4:1,2; 1 Thessalonians 2: 3-5.We must condemn the Church leaders who, instead of stressing the essence of the faith, which is repentance in order to be reconciled to God, are pursuing money by all means possible, making merchandise of the people, preaching the gospel of prosperity, attributing people's problems to their ancestors, and promising millions of traumatised and helpless Nigerians fake promises of miracles. This age is for the preaching of the truth so that the sheep of God may serve Him acceptably and not for the making of miracles. ' Matthew 24:14, 11,24; Revelation 14:6,7; Matthew 7:15-23; 2 Corinthians 11:13-15.On the whole religious leaders have a great role to play in building partnerships in which religious groups and other institutions in society could work together for the progress of society.There is need for tolerance for one another's beliefs, peaceful co-existence, right conduct, absolute reliance on God Almighty, in keeping with Christ's parable of the wheat and the tares, for the continued unity, peace and progress of Nigeria. ' Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43; Romans 12:17-21; etc.'Faith-based Organisations Have Helped With Provision Of Education, Healthcare'(His Eminence Dr. Sunday Ola Makinde, Prelate, Methodist Church Nigeria)I MAKE bold to describe Christianity as the mother of Nigeria because it pioneered what we may call good, sound and moral education, healthcare services, social institutions and mass media, among others. The contribution of Christianity to education remains immeasurable. Had Nigerians not been unlucky to have government take over mission schools, the level of education in the nation would have been one of the best in the world. Records have it that the Methodist, Anglican and other denominations started Motherless Babies Homes. And when we even talk about how Nigeria attained independence, people, like Herbert Macaulay, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Nnamdi Azikiwe ' all Christians ' fought for the country's freedom. History would always remind us of how Mary Slessor stopped the killing of twins in the East, thereby making it possible for a lot of helpless souls to live. The shadow of all these good contributions to nation building is what we are having today.Today, what we hear is strike here and there because God has been kept out of the scene.Christianity has also done much in terms of maintaining peace in the nation. It is rare to see a Christian, under the guise of religion, fighting and killing anybody. Christians would always allow our All Sufficient God to fight for Himself. He does not need anyone to defend Him. He can always defend and fight for Himself. What He has committed to us is praying always, which we are doing for the nation, and preaching of peace and change of heart. A single life is very precious in the sight of God and whenever a life is taken by force, it touches the heart of God. That is the reason He tells us to treasure life, which we are doing. It is not only preaching but also practicing peace, to which we are very committed.We are proud of what Christianity has done for this nation.Another very important contribution of Christianity is in the area of praying that Nigeria should remain one. We are consistently praying for unity and praying for members of Boko Haram that they would not allow the labour of our fathers who fought for Nigeria's independence to be in vain.I believe we do not need military intervention. As we overcame the Civil War and diverse problems that have confronted the nation, we will also overcome the insurgence of Boko Haram, kidnapping, corruption and other vices.It is very unfortunate that Nigeria at 52 is still bedevilled by social decay, lack of infrastructure among others. But I am optimistic we will overcome.At this point, we implore government to look into the issue of unemployment, social amenities, equipping of hospitals with drugs and provision of electricity. Governors and chairmen of local governments should spend their allocations to improve their areas rather than lavish the money on self-aggrandisement. People should stop apportioning blames to Mr. President as being the only one responsible for every problem. Rather, every Nigerian should follow peace and practice true religion.'Prayers Have Averted Disintegration'(Alhaji Sheik Jamiu Bolaji, Chief Imam and Founder of Jamaat Jamiu Rizkiyyat-L- Islamiyat Society of Nigeria)THE impact of religion to national development in the last 52 years cannot be overemphasised. But for prayers of faithful, the country would have been on fire or have disintegrated.Christian and Muslim leaders should continue to pray for peace. All we have experienced in the last five decades are a result of sins. Bribery and corruption have overtaken the minds of people. They would not do things except they are bribed or induced. There is no love in the country; how do you expect development' We need not deceive ourselves anymore. Unless Nigerians do a rethink and obey the commandments of God, we may not see changes. God is angry at our attitude as a country.At 52, there is nothing to write home about. Economically, we are underdeveloped. We are stagnant. Tenets of religion do not allow anyone to do wrong, rather they teach how we should live successfully as a nation. Many religious leaders have access to the political class but they do not tell them the truth because of selfish interests.The country has been at a standstill for long. We must rise up, face our challenges and change our attitude. Too much emphasis is being placed on acquisition of wealth, and leaders have not been fair towards the citizens.Government should strive to eradicate bribery and corruption. It should sanitise its sectors.'It Can Help In Enthroning Righteous Leaders'(Dr. Mike Okonkwo, Presiding Bishop of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission, TREM)AT 52, let us pause, think and take stock of where we are today. I believe that there is so much more we can achieve, if we give democracy a chance. We are certainly not there yet as a nation, but we will certainly get there through the concerted efforts of every Nigerian.We are gradually approaching another election period where we would once again have the opportunity of voting in credible leaders at all levels. I want to call on the electorate to check out the dividends of democracy that we have achieved thus far and let that guide the next choice of candidates for elective offices. I enjoin every voter to look out for people who will give us credible leadership. If you vote wrongly in the next general elections, then get ready to endure what you get.I call on all Christians to continue to pray that God will cause us to experience peace and stability in the land, in spite of our challenges. I believe that Nigeria has a great future. We cannot afford to lose hope in this nation now. There is no doubt that God has kept us together as a people for a purpose. I, therefore, urge all Nigerians to always go to God in prayers, and not lose hope. The worst thing that can happen to any person or nation is not to have hope. If you lose hope, there is no point living at all. But since there is hope and a place to run to, then, it is best we seek refuge in that place and be sure of tomorrow.There is no doubt that the hand of God is upon this nation. And so, no matter the challenges we have gone through, I believe that things would improve and we would see tangible development especially in our economy, health, education and socio- political sectors.I, therefore, encourage everyone to remain steadfast in the faith, knowing that God's purpose for our nation will ultimately be fulfilled.
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