The Bishop of Okrika Diocese, The Rt. Rev’d Tubokosimie Abere, has called on Christians to practise what they preach, by not stealing.
Abere, who delivered the early morning sermon at the Holy Communion Service of the Church of Nigeria 12th General Synod which held recently at the St Paul’s Cathedral, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, noted, “As a preacher, we tell people not to steal, but in our closet, we practise stealing.”
The preacher, who spoke on the theme of the General Synod, “Thou Shall Not Steal,” (Exodus 20:15) expressed worry that the society is presently experiencing evil, which has elicited growing concern.
According to him, God created man to establish a relationship between divine and mere mortals, but regretted that man did not live up to expectations.
Rev. Abere said almost all the passages of the Bible draw attention to stealing, yet, all the sectors of the country, including the civil service and the education sector, stink.
“Sin of whatever magnitude is stealing and I, as such, called on employers not to defraud employees and on employees to be faithful, loyal and honest,” he urged.
Bishop Abere further stated that many businesses in Nigeria had been grounded or in near collapse owing to stealing by employees and called for a change of attitude.
The Bishop advised Christians to be hard working to enable them take care of their families. Furthermore, he charged them to reject laziness as it encourages poverty, which in turn becomes a breeding ground for stealing.
He condemned in its entirety too, taxes not paid to government and tithes not paid to the church, describing it as stealing.
According to him, “It is wrong for a man to steal N400 million and he is asked to return N400,000, just to prove that he is culpable, while someone who steals one hundred naira is sent to prison for one year or more.”
He thus enjoined Christians to put away every negative attitude, be kind to one another and be tender hearted.
Meanwhile, a former Nigeria’s External Affairs Minister, Odein Ajumogobia, SAN, has been appointed the new Chancellor of Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion).
The Primate of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, the Most Rev’d Nicholas Okoh, who presented and introduced the New Chancellor at the third day of the Synod said Ajumogobia “is now a Minister of God.”
The Primate also announced the election of Bishop of Diocese of Kwara, the Most Rev’d Olusegun Adeyemi as the New Archbishop of Kwara Province.
Okoh said the new Archbishop takes over from the Most Rev’d Michael Akinyemi, who retired.
