Fubara: Nigeria Needs God-Fearing Leaders to Overcome Corruption, Insecurity

Siminalayi Fubara has said Nigeria’s progress depends on the emergence of God-fearing leaders who will govern with integrity, accountability and a commitment to the common good.

The Rivers State governor made the remark on Thursday while receiving the World President of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Erton Köhler, alongside his wife, Andriene Marques Köhler, their daughter, Mariana Marques Köhler, and other church ministers at the Government House in Port Harcourt.

Fubara commended the church for its longstanding investment in education, noting that its institutions have continued to produce future leaders while promoting Christian values.

He said religious organisations should go beyond preaching and make meaningful contributions to national development through education and character building.

“Our country is where it is today because we lack the fear of God. If you have the fear of God, there should be a limit to what you can do because you understand the supremacy of God. But when God is not in your equation, you’ll go beyond the line, and that is what has brought us to where we are today,” the governor said.

According to him, Nigeria requires well-trained, value-driven leaders who possess integrity and are prepared to serve the nation responsibly.

Fubara argued that the absence of principled leadership has contributed to social inequality, poverty, corruption and rising criminality across the country.

He also stressed the need for policies that guarantee affordable quality education, accessible healthcare and decent living conditions for citizens, saying such measures would reduce insecurity and other social vices.

“If workers can afford quality healthcare and own a home after years of service, there will be little incentive for crime. People become desperate when they are uncertain about the future,” he added.

The governor thanked the church delegation for visiting Rivers State and for praying for the state, assuring them of his administration’s continued support for their programmes.

Speaking earlier, Köhler said he was in Nigeria to attend a special conference of the church where thousands of ministers would undergo leadership and empowerment training.

He expressed appreciation for the warm reception accorded his delegation and disclosed that the Seventh-day Adventist Church has more than 24 million members and over 182,000 places of worship spread across 212 countries and territories worldwide.