Speaking at Bishop Mike Okonkwo’s 80th birthday lecture in Lagos, Yemi Osinbajo underlined the necessity for churches to resume preaching the “true gospel,” which encourages diligence, morality, and accountability.
“We cannot build a nation on the doctrines of miracle money and shortcuts,” he said. “The true gospel teaches diligence, honesty, responsibility and compassion. That is what builds great societies.”
Yemi Osinbajo bemoaned how the “miracle money” religion has shifted the emphasis from fostering peace, unity, and the holistic development of society to accumulating personal wealth.
“The problem is not wealth itself, but how it is pursued and the message being spread from our pulpits. When people are conditioned to expect sudden wealth without effort, it undermines productivity and encourages corruption.”
He underlined that this strategy runs counter to the fact that hard effort, diligence, and establishing successful firms or careers are frequently necessary for success and affluence.
Nigerian churches should resume preaching morality and social responsibility, the former vice president suggested.
Additionally, he urged Christian leaders to take a more calculated approach to combating corruption, greed, and power abuse among their followers, particularly those holding public office.
“The gospel is not opposed to prosperity,” he concluded. “But no nation can progress by relying on unearned income and shortcuts. We must cultivate a culture of integrity, productivity and compassion if Nigeria is to rise again.”
