By Sam Eyoboka
AS the nation marked its golden jubilee on Friday, several Christian and Muslim leaders have given thumbs down but offered prayers to God for the peace of the nation, especially as it approaches another  election year.

Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Anthony Cardinal Okogie, blamed the PDP and successive governments since 1960 for Nigeria’s  multi-dimensional problems, saying “the blame lies on all those who, having been opportuned to serve, abandoned the national interest for other self-serving interests.”

In an independence message to the nation, Okogie also lambasted corrupt civil servants, technocrats, pastors, teachers and even the masses who decided to circumvent their conscience for material gain, pointing out that through “collective acts or omissions, they have allowed this nation to nosedive to its present precarious state.”

On the forthcoming elections, the cardinal hailed the current leadership of INEC for the steps it has taken thus far to give this nation free, fair and credible elections next year, believing that the commission means well and deserves the support of every well meaning Nigerians.

Okogie, who frowned at the huge sums of money voted for the 50th anniversary celebration,  however, cautioned the commission to endeavour to be forthright and transparent in all its dealings and remain an impartial arbiter and must not give Nigerians room to doubt its credibility, stressing that there is still hope for the nation, but “we must rise to take our destiny in our own hands.”

General Overseer of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM), Dr. Daniel Olukoya, on his part, asserted that God has a covenant relationship with Nigeria, as the most populous black nation.

Olukoya told a capacity crowd of worshippers at the MFM headquarters, during a special prayer session for the country that “God wants to use Nigeria as His battle_axe.

As I have said before now, the map of Africa looks like a pistol and where Nigeria is located is like the trigger part of the gun,” indicating that whatever happens to or from Nigeria affects not only Africans but all other parts of the world.