Last week, the National Security Adviser, Malam Nuhu Ribadu and Nigeria’s First Lady, Mrs Oluremi Tinubu led a National Prayer at the National Mosque in Abuja where Muslims gathered for seven days to seek God’s intervention in our economic hardship while Christian prayer warriors from various denominations were billed to gather at the National Ecumenical Centre for a week of intense prayer focusing their efforts on the nation’s adversities.
•Resort to prayers not solution to Nigeria’s economic woes — MBF
•Prayer alone ‘ll not solve our economic woes —Archbishop Opoko
Dayo Johnson,Regional Editor, South West; Samuel Oyadongha; Marie-Therese Nanlong; Peter Duru; Rotimi Ojomoyela; Egufe Yafugborhi; Chioma Onuegbu; Steve Oko; James Ogunnaike; Laolu Elijah; Deola Badru & Ibrahim Hassan-Wuyo
Last week, the National Security Adviser, Malam Nuhu Ribadu and Nigeria’s First Lady, Mrs Oluremi Tinubu led a National Prayer at the National Mosque in Abuja where Muslims gathered for seven days to seek God’s intervention in our economic hardship while Christian prayer warriors from various denominations were billed to gather at the National Ecumenical Centre for a week of intense prayer focusing their efforts on the nation’s adversities.
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According to the Director General of the National Prayer Forum (NPF), Segun Balogun Afolorunikan, “by the end of this prayer session, we believe that with God’s wisdom, our leaders and citizens will find the strength to confront our common enemies”.
Nigerians were however outraged that in the face of economic hardship, insecurity, low production in manufacturing, agriculture and even oil and gas, our main source of revenue, we could be spending time, energy and resources to grow our economy through prayers especially when the Holy Bible and Holy Quran admonish that faith without work leads one to nowhere. In their reactions, Nigerians dismissed the national prayer as a waste of time and wondered whether after the prayer, the authorities would wake up to their responsibilities and create an enabling environment for farmers to go to farm and produce food or that they would bring down the price of petrol. Some aggrieved Nigerians even asked whether the government sought the face of God before implementing their policies that have brought untold hardships to them while others said the resort to prayers was not the solution to Nigeria’s economic woes.
After prayer, will they bring down the price of petrol? —Ishaku
Abdul Ishaku, a panel beater along the Bauchi Ring road in Jos, Plateau state said, “We pray every day in the mosque, at home, and the place of work. Using a whole week to pray is not a bad idea, but after the prayer, what next? Will they wake up to their responsibilities and create an enabling environment for farmers to go to farm and produce food? Will they arise and tackle insecurity headlong? Will they look into the electricity problems we are having? Will they bring down the price of petrol?”
God will not listen to you when you don’t listen to the cries of the people —Atang
On his part, Ezekiel Atang noted, “When they run out of the idea which they didn’t have in the first place, they will reinforce the deceit that Nigeria is a religious country so that citizens will keep believing that God is the one leading us, not those who found themselves in offices. As a country, does God sign our official documents? Is God receiving salaries and allowances from the taxpayers? We can pray for God’s guidance but they will not arm twist God when they are living in sin and intentional wickedness. The leaders who don’t listen to the cry of the poor are asking God to listen to them. How many Nigerians will pray with a united heart? God was not on the ballot when we were voting. He will not do what He asked you to do.
Israel is fighting to keep its territory safe from extremists, we pat extremists on the back and give them more money at the expense of the victims who need support. Do other leaders in countries of the world who believe in God pray? I guess so. Do they fail in their responsibilities and think prayer is the way out? I guess not. Enough of this charade, they should do the right things that will make citizens find their daily bread. When you hold sin in one hand and try to grab God with the other, I think it is a waste of time.”
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They need to repent rather than hoodwink the people —Gloria Yakubu
Gloria Yakubu maintained that, “People who know the right things to do but fail to do them because of whatever considerations are not sincere and can’t call on God with a sincere heart. God has stopped raining manna to men. People who know those killing the farmers but fail to stop them so that farmers can go to farms can’t pray to God to give them food.
People who should galvanize national wealth for development but choose to pilfer it for personal use can’t call God to construct the roads, the schools, healthcare facilities, and others. Those who prefer to overtax the poor while they live in affluence are wicked people who need to repent rather than hoodwink the people to believe that they are godly.”
Did they seek God’s face before implementing their useless policies? —Edache
Joshua Edache, an electrician, said, “They are attention seekers, riding on a carousel that leads nowhere. Did they seek God’s face before implementing useless policies that are imposed on the country by the neo-colonialists that they willingly handed the country and citizens over to? We play with God too much in this country, and God is very patient when fire and brimstone should be rained on those who use political prayers to weaken citizens’ will to resist backbreaking governance imposed by hypocritical leaders.”
Resort to prayers not solution to Nigeria’s economic woes —MBF
The Middle Belt Forum, MBF, also faulted the resort to prayers to seek solutions to the economic challenges facing Nigeria insisting that God has already endowed the country with the manpower and ability to tackle its problems. According to the Forum’s National President, Dr. Bitrus Pogu; “The truth remains that options have been given to us by God. And we are not supposed to start disturbing God about what he has already given us the ability to solve.
So the economic problem of Nigeria as it stands is the issue of over taxation. You removed the subsidy from petrol and you started putting taxes everywhere. There is no economy that has ever succeeded through over-taxation. What should be done is to focus on production that is going to revamp the economy. Prayers cannot stop the problem because God has given us the ability, the knowledge to be able to solve our problems”.
It borders on the absurd —Prof Ojo
Professor Gbade Ojo, a former Chief of Staff to late Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State said, “The one-week long National Prayer to address Nigeria’s economic challenges is not just misguided; it borders on the absurd.
In a time of dire economic hardship, rampant insecurity, and dwindling production across key sectors, we are being asked to invest our hope and resources into prayer rather than tangible action. From a political standpoint, this feels like a diversion tactic—a way to distract the populace from the government’s failures and the urgent need for concrete economic reforms.
Instead of rolling up their sleeves and tackling the systemic issues plaguing our nation, our leaders seem content to offer platitudes and prayers, suggesting that divine intervention is a substitute for sound policy and effective governance. Nigerians deserve better than this superficial approach.
We need genuine commitment to addressing our challenges, not a smoke-and-mirrors campaign that seeks to placate the public while the real issues remain unaddressed. The solution to our problems lies not in prayer alone, but in the hard work and decisive action that our leaders have so far failed to provide.
It’s laughable to think we can pray through our problems—Hon Peretei
The Publicity Secretary of the People’s Democratic Party, Ondo state- Hon Kennedy Peretei said, “it is laughable for anyone to think we can pray through our problems without addressing the root causes of the problems. How can you pray to resolve the aftermath of a fuel subsidy removal or the floating of the naira? Is it not ridiculous? It is a mockery of religious practice.
Prayer alone will not solve the country’s economic woes —Archbishop Opoko
The Bishop of Umuahia Methodist Ecclesiastical Diocese Archbishop Raphael Opoko said, “After praying they should also watch because God will not watch for them. Watchfulness involves appointing technocrats who know their onions; appointing professionals and not creating political offices for their cronies. Nigerians cannot be the best abroad and when they come home they will not be given opportunities. Beyond prayers, they should prosecute all those who have been involved in corruption. They should not be rewarding corruption nor giving political appointments to those facing corruption charges. For their prayers to be genuine, they should put square pegs in square holes”.
Nigerians have prayed enough —Prof Uremadu
Similarly, a Professor of Banking and Finance at the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike, Professor Sebastiane Uremadu, said, “Prayer is good but Nigerians have prayed enough. Faith without work is dead. We have prayed enough. Now it’s for action. I’m a Professor of Banking and Finance. There’s a serious need to restore oil subsidies. In every country, there is a subsidy. No economy operates without subsidy. In our own clan, oil subsidy is the catch-all variable that touches everything.
If you restore the fuel subsidy today every other cost will come down. There’s insecurity everywhere and people are afraid to move about. For our economy to rebound, there is a need to remove multiple taxation. Multiple taxation is bad. You are taxing people to death; you are taxing companies to death. People are dying everyday. You see walking corpses on the street. People are starving now. Nigeria has been praying. I’m a man of God and we have been praying. Prayers alone cannot stop our problem as a country, we must apply the right policies. Work on insecurity, restore oil subsidies and fix forex then the economy will pick up.”
FG should provide good leadership —Prof Okaba
Prof Benjamin Okaba, President of Ijaw National Congress, INC, said: “This is a secular state, individuals and associations could hold different religious activities but not with state funds and by state officials in government facilities.
Prayer is key, but without work, it is dead. The world knows us as a praying nation, we already have more internationally recognised religious leaders than world-class business men and women. Government should address the multifaceted issues of insecurity, economic and political instability and increasing crime rate among others by providing good quality leadership.
To resort to institutionalised prayer is an admittance of state failure and a scam of another dimension.
Prayers without hard work ‘ll not fix Nigeria’s woes —Morris
Alagoa Morris, environmentalist said: “Neither Israel nor Saudi Arabia talk about prayers on issues of governance. None of the advanced or developed societies resort to prayer as a vehicle to solving economic and security issues; they put their professionals and resources to work for desired results.
During campaigns for public offices the electorate were not told that prayer was going to be a means to solving the challenges they promised taking head-on. Instead of prayers, why not remove the cloak of ego and seek for the help of Nigerian professionals and the ordinary people, summon political will and deal decisively with the security challenges.”
We have missed the track —Ambakederimo
Elder Joseph Ambakederimo, Convener, South South Reawakening Group, said: “This is what can best be described as misplaced priority. I do not subscribe to this misadventure of using prayers to assuage hardship in our country. This prayer mindset has clearly shown that we have missed the track and there should be a rethink of our strategies of our economic emancipation. Where have we seen manna falling from heaven? It is like the men of God preaching about prosperity without work. Indeed we are in for a rough ride as this is an indication of failing and extinction of ideas.”
It’s shameful and repulsive —Zik Gbemre
Zik Gbemre, Coordinator, Niger Delta Peace Coalition, said: “If development of a country is dependent on prayers by the churches and mosques, China, Japan and Western countries would have remained the least developed. How will big church auditoriums, Mosques and their wishful prayers build Nigeria’s economy to recover from hardships? With all our big church buildings and mosques, has that helped Nigeria? When warehouses are turned into prayer houses and factories are folding up, can prayers bring in goods and services? We are told how China has built bridges across deep oceans and here thoughtless Nigerian leaders are believing their prayers will eliminate poverty when they themselves are plundering the country into more debts.
How have Christianity and Islam helped Nigeria to develop? If the energy which Nigerians are committing to prayers is deployed into critical thinking for advancement, Nigeria would have developed like the Western countries and Asian countries. What Nigeria needs is initiative for productivity and not prayers. Nigeria needs stable electricity, modern transport infrastructures, durable road networks, politicians who will not loot public treasuries and affordable good health care for every Nigerian.”
Prayer without work is dead —Nwoko
Former Akwa Ibom State Attorney-General, Uwemedimo Nwoko SAN said: “they cannot deceive man and also deceive God. So far, they have not been honest to Nigerians. Let it not be a way of distracting the people from their suffering. Nigerians should understand that seeking God’s intervention through the prayer doesn’t mean they should sit down without working because “the Bible said that faith without work is dead”
Another avenue to steal money —Kolawole
The Chairman, Ikere-Ekiti Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mr Tope Kolawole, said, “it’s another avenue to siphon our money. We have been praying in this country, that is not the solution to our problems. By the time they are through with it, we will be hearing that billions of naira have been spent on it. It is another form of corruption. Our problem is physical, not spiritual. God has been God over us, it was the manipulation of men that has led us to where we are”.
Nigerians have prayed enough —Ajibulu
Secretary, Council of Ekiti Elders, Mr Niyi Ajibulu, argued that “Nigerians have prayed enough, it’s action we need now, we need concerted efforts, we must work to back up prayers. We have been praying all along but now it’s time for action”.
God has already answered our prayers in Nigeria — Balogun
Ex-Vice Chairman, Nigerian Bar Association, Ijebu-Ode branch, Moruff Balogun said,
“God has already answered our prayers in Nigeria and blessed us with both human and natural resources we need to develop the country. What is left is for the government to create an enabling environment that will encourage all hands to be on desk and work for the progress of the country.
There is no single prayer that God has left unanswered in this country; stating from fertile land for all forms of agricultural purposes, mineral resources, population, good weather and atmospheric condition, among others. What else do Nigerians want from God? Those who are stealing our money are either Muslims or Christians. I think it is high time we face the realities and provide sincere and workable solutions to our challenges”.
They are just buying time —Pa Alake
Similarly, an Octogenarian, Pa Dele Alake, said, “What has God not given us in this country? God has long granted our prayers by giving us enormous resources. They have been travelling abroad, they see how things are done there, why can’t they replicate what they see there in our own country? They are just buying time.”
Calling for prayers is just a mere distraction —Pastor Ayeariwi
A cleric, Pastor Adedamola Ayeariwi, said, “God has been so faithful and good to Nigeria, it is the turn of our leaders to govern with their conscience by giving us basic amenities that we need. We have been praying and God has been answering our prayers. God will not come down to help us, He has given us the resources and wisdom to manage them but it is the greed of our so called leaders that has led us to where we are now. Calling for prayers is just a mere distraction. Let them sit up and do what is expected of them. They should govern in a way that will make the masses breathe a little. They are choking us with their policies.”
God has done His own bit, it’s left for them to do theirs——Traditionalist, Igbalaye
A traditionalist, Eweje Igbalaye said, “God has given us all the necessary resources to use but most of our leaders are hiding under the mercy of God to cheat us. Can they swear with our gods? No, they dare not because their judgment will be instantaneous if they default. Everything is in their hands to make the economy better. God has done His own bit, it’s left for them to do theirs. We should rather offer prayers to God to help us change them, they have punished us enough.”
Prayers without work is nothing —Sani
According to former Secretary General of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF),Anthony Sani:
“Prayer without work is nothing. God has given human beings intellect and all that it takes to enable man to fend for himself. If prayers without work were all that are required for a meaningful life, Nigeria and Afghanistan would have been the most developed countries in the world,since they are the two countries which pray the most. It is work and worship, not prayers alone.
Prayer alone is not sufficient to address our problems —Abdul-Aziz
Spokesman of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF),Suleiman Abdul-Aziz,said : “We should rather blend faith with action to forge a sustainable path forward. Prayer alone is not sufficient to address our multifaceted challenges. While prayer is essential, it must be accompanied by tangible efforts to effect change. Prayer can serve as a powerful antidote to hopelessness, instilling a sense of purpose and community among citizens. However, when combined with concrete actions, this sense of purpose can translate into meaningful change. By believing that their efforts can yield results, Nigerians can foster a culture of resilience and determination.
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