Imo state born, Eze Ndigbo Ghana, HRM Eze Dr Chukwudi Ihenetu, has appealed to religious leaders in Nigeria to invest in human and capital development of members by teaching them how to earn a leaving through farming and establishment of industries. This, according to him, is necessary to ease the untold hardship currently being experienced in the country.
The Royal Father urged the religious leaders to invest the monies contributed by their members through tithes and offerings to establish factories where members can work and earn a living. In a statement, the Amaigbo, Nwangele traditional ruler said religious leaders in mosques and churches should begin to build farms and factories to employ and empower their followers.
He said, In today’s world, more especially in Africa, Nigeria in particular, its either you are a Christian or Muslim. We have large mosques and churches with large followers. Some of these people work in government offices, some (are) into business, and the majority are jobless. Same people come to churches, pay tithes and offerings go for altar calls and make donations to mosques. Some will even go borrowing to pay. Some come to me, begging for money to fulfill their vows to religious organizations. I keep asking them, why would you make promises to church when you dont work? That means they are not worshipping God with true faith. So, if churches and mosques can start building industries, then they can employ their members. If they raise money from members to build up to 40,000 capacity places of worship, they should also be able to set up large farm plantations to provide food for their members.”
He is confident that the step will help the church and the members. As he said, This measure if taken will not only create jobs, it will also reduce poverty in the land. At the same time, Im urging them to go into farming by leasing acres of land for agriculture and teach their members how to farm and also pay them salaries, this would encourage them to give in their best.”
he deplored a situation where people in lack will go to worship centres only to start begging for money after service. So, he said, It is sad that people will close from church and start begging for transport fare. As they preach prosperity, let them also preach farming. This measure would help to roll back hunger from the land.