A COALTION of gospel ministers and Christians committed to restoring Biblical Christianity, Apostles and Prophets Global Mission has blamed the failure of the Nigerian Church to spearhead moral revival and transformation for the nation’s underdevelopment after 51 years of political independence.

The group, last week, stated that many religious leaders have compromised and failed to emphasise righteousness and truth, and as a result greed and corruption have become prevalent in the nation.

The group’s national co-ordinator, Bishop Abraham Olaleye, told reporters that religious leaders, not political leaders, should be blamed for the nation’s multi-dimensional challenges, explaining: “We (church leaders) are encouraging people to perpetrate more evils. Over 40 million Nigerians give undivided attention to pastors on a weekly basis. If our pastors preach the right messages, Nigeria would have been transformed”.

According to him; “we, as religious leaders have neglected our responsibility. We have developed a nonchallant attitude towards truth and righteousness. The message from our pulpits is 98 per cent egocentric. People go to church to seek personal help and not to serve God”.

Continuing, he stated: “Religion has become commercialised and there are so many things to purchase at our gatherings today. Month after month, we pray for first, middle and last born. We ask parents to redeem their children so that miracles can happen”.

These ills in the church, Olaleye pointed out, are responsible for Nigeria’s backwardness, adding that to reform Nigeria, the Church must first be reformed.

He assured that the group will henceforth confront ministerial abuses and expose ills in the Church with a view to correcting them, pointing out that if the Church is fixed, “it won’t be long before Nigeria becomes better.”