Church Gift Primate Cautions Nigerians

Most Reverend Nicholas Okoh, the Primate of Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), has urged Nigerians to desist from making “uncomplimentary remarks” about the renovation of a church in President Goodluck Jonathan’s home town, Otuoke, Bayelsa.

He gave the advice while fielding questions from Journalists in Abuja.

Okoh, who is also the Arch Bishop Abuja Metropolitan, cautioned those criticising the president over the renovation of the church to “first of all search themselves.”

“Those pointing to the renovation of the church, let them search their minds. There are logs in their eyes, not the speck in somebody’s eyes.”

The primate said there was nothing wrong in anyone coming up to contribute to the spread of the gospel by helping to renovate the house of God.

“You don’t need Gitto to do the renovation; those raising the issue should stop it. It is not an issue; people are just looking for problems where there is none.

“The president does not need a friend to renovate that church, but since somebody volunteered to do it, that person will receive blessings from God and not a curse.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that some Nigerians recently criticised President Jonathan for receiving a gift of a church in his home town, Otuoke, Bayelsa State, from a construction company in the country.

Okoh explained that contrary to the falsehood spread by some individuals, the church in question was not new but “an old building that was only renovated.”

He said there was nothing to point to the fact that the president had erred in allowing the company to renovate the church.

Oko called on Nigerians to concentrate on important and worrisome issues confronting them as individuals and the nation at large, rather than dwelling on the issue of the church, which he described as “trivial.”

The Primate had, earlier in his Easter message at the service, called on Nigerians to remain faithful to God in spite of the difficult times.

He also urged them to see the present challenges as a call to greater service in the House of God to use Easter period to eschew acts of “tribalism, ethnicity and sectionalism.”