Wealth hoarded by a few, says former VP
Former Vice President and pastor, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, says Nigeria’s resources are locked in the hands of a few because those in charge of distributing them lack the moral compass and spiritual grounding to do it fairly.
Speaking at the 80th birthday of Bishop Mike Okonkwo of TREM in Lagos, Osinbajo pointed to a culture of “primitive accumulation” among elites who take joy in hoarding wealth rather than sharing it responsibly.
The church has a role to play
Delivering a keynote on the topic “Church as a responsible pathfinder in attaining the Nigeria of our dreams,” Osinbajo urged churches in Nigeria to embrace the transformational gospel once preached in Europe by the Puritans—a message, he said, that drove national growth through values like hard work, honesty, and discipline.
“We must stop treating the gospel as just a spiritual message,” he said. “It’s also a social and economic game-changer.”
Lessons from the Bible: honest distribution matters
Referencing the Book of Acts, Osinbajo shared a biblical example where early church leaders chose spiritually grounded individuals to oversee resource distribution—because even then, integrity mattered.
“If those entrusted with the resources are not godly, there will be problems,” he said.
Hard work is divine, not optional
The former VP criticized the belief that prosperity will fall from heaven like manna, saying people have a divine responsibility to be productive.
“The gospel doesn’t support laziness or corruption,” Osinbajo noted. “Honest work and caring for the poor should be seen as divine duties.”
Throwback to 2014: Okonkwo stood by him
Osinbajo also shared a personal story, thanking Bishop Okonkwo for supporting him in 2014 during tense moments when some Christian leaders resisted his selection as a vice-presidential candidate.
“Some leaders didn’t want me to even explain myself,” he recalled. “But Bishop Okonkwo made it happen.”
Nwachukwu and Okonkwo reflect on Nigeria’s 65 years
Major General Ike Nwachukwu, who chaired the event, called for serious reflection on what Nigeria has achieved since independence. “Brazil is producing aircraft. What have we done with Ajaokuta?” he asked pointedly.
Bishop Okonkwo echoed that sentiment, urging Nigerians to ask themselves tough questions: “Are we where we ought to be as a country?”
He said national development won’t happen without personal responsibility. “We all have a role to play in building the Nigeria we dream of,” he concluded.
