By OLAYINKA LATONA

Nigerians have been urged to take active part in nation building and development, as the responsibility is not meant for the leaders alone but for both the leaders and the led.

The Special Assistant to the General Overseer of RCCG on Administration, Pastor Oladele Balogun made the call while briefing journalists on the church’s special Independence Day prayers and celebration service scheduled for October 3rd and 6th at the National Headquarters of RCCG in Ebute-Metta, Lagos with the theme: ‘Divine Wisdom’.

Pastor Balogun said that it would require the collective responsibility of all Nigerians for the country’s past glory to be restored, adding that the current situation in the country should be of great concern to all well-meaning Nigerians.

According to him, the state of the nation as well as the prevailing global economy is quite challenging, but with God all things are possible. Hence, our confidence that, through divine wisdom, God is able to turn around the seemingly hopeless situation into a glorious phenomenon.

In his words: “Don’t mistake what we are saying, we are not saying that we should close our eyes to the other side. What the church is saying is a combination of what we need to move our nation forward. This is a combination of the efforts of the supernatural and the natural.

“The supernatural idea is referring to God. We actually need God and that is where prayer comes in. But when you look at the church today, we are not just emphasizing prayer alone. There is need to take necessary actions and that is the effort of the natural from our leaders and the masses.

“We often focus solely on the leaders. It is not only the leaders, even the led, the followers too, they have roles to play in the advancement of our country.

The cleric, who is also the Pastor-in-charge of Region 1, revealed there would be a corporate thanksgiving service for God’s faithfulness and love upon the nation. Including prayers for government functionaries, and students, particularly those in the higher institutions, would be led by the general overseer of RCCG, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye.

He stated: “As part of the preparation to commemorate a momentous occasion in our nation’s history – our Independence Day, we need to thank God for His faithfulness and love for our nation, Nigeria.

“Though our tongues and tribes may differ, in brotherhood we must continue to stand. Hence, the need to celebrate the bravery, resilience, and determination of our forebears who fought tirelessly for our freedom.”