…says politics is not dirty game, but powerful tool for shaping leadership outcomes
Governor Alex Otti, has told Christians and other faith-based institutions in Nigeria and well meaning Nigerians that politics must not be ignored if getting the leadership question in Nigeria right truly matters to them.
Otti made this call on Saturday, April 11th, at the Transforming Church Int’l, Abuja, during their ADVANCE workers, pastors & Leaders Conference while delivering a keynote speech titled “The role of the Church in Societal Transformation.”
The Abia Governor urged Christians to pick interest and get intentionally involved in driving societal transformation as moral watchdogs.
The keynote address, which focused on the critical role of the Church in societal transformation and nation-building, Governor Otti, emphasized that lack of interest in politics and political participation by those who see politics as dirty has contributed to leadership challenges in the country.
Otti further urged religious institutions to go beyond spiritual guidance and take deliberate steps in encouraging their members to get involved in politics, bringing the Christian values of honesty, accountability, etc to guide and shape political behaviour and outcomes in political parties through the emergence of credible candidates during elections.
He equally enjoined faith-based institutions to encourage their members to take advantage of the ongoing voters registration exercise to get their PVC, maintaining that faith-based organisations possess the moral authority and grassroots reach needed to influence positive change in governance.
Otti said that he believes strongly that the Church has a crucial role to play in answering Nigeria’s leadership question “because a journey through history, has shown the unequal resilience of the Church as a force in societal transformation,”
“Jesus started his ministry by proclaiming the kingdom of God as good news to the poor, challenged religious and political elites, and reversed social hierarchies and inequalitie,” he referenced from the Bible.
Otti noted that while many people view politics as dirty, it remains a powerful tool for shaping leadership outcomes and influencing the direction of society.
He noted that, those who desire good governance must be willing to participate actively in the political process rather than remain passive, because it is the political process that produces leaders who formulate programmes and policies that affect individuals and ultimately determine the socio-economic progress or backwardness of society.
Otti defined societal transformation as, “deep structural change in a society’s values, institutions, systems and behaviour which leads to improved wellbeing, justice, and sustainable development.”
He explained that transformation goes beyond cosmetic reforms to fundamentally reshape how a society usually functions.
Otti further stated that societal transformation is therefore not merely about economic growth or infrastructure development.
He explained that it involves three key dimensions: Radical shift in values, because no society rises above the values it tolerates and rewards; profound change in Leadership as the quality of leadership of any society determines the direction of the society or nation; and the dramatic modification of Institutions since strong institutions are the key pillars for sustaining societal positive change and national development.”
He urged the Church to adopt a more productive approach to welfarism by going beyond the distribution of handouts to developing initiatives that create jobs, enabling members to work hard and earn a decent living.
Otti said that politics is not dirty as most faith-based organisations see it but only dirty people bring their dirty attitude into politics, and added that the only way to get out those who bring dirty behaiour into politics is for men of integrity, honour, verifiable track record of success with second addresses, who don’t see politics as a career but a call to service to join politics.
Otti said that no amount of sermonising, fasting and prayers, casting and binding of the devils slowing down the progress of the society will work until members of faith-based institutions deliberately get involved in politics and participate in process that produces leaders that pilot the affairs of the country.
“God cannot do for us the things he has empowered us to do for ourselves,” Governor Otti stated, emphasizing that faith without work is dead as stated in the scripture.
“As Church leaders, we should cooperate with God not to deny the younger generation of Christians the opportunities and blessings of good governance.
“It is easier to influence the policies of government if we are part of the government through meaningful political socialization, participation of our members in the political and electoral processes by registering as members of political parties and by voting in elections and making sure that our votes count.”
