The Acting Spiritual Leader of the Cherubim and Seraphim Movement Church Worldwide, Gabriel Kassim, has urged Nigerians to reject self-serving politicians and elect leaders committed to the country’s growth and development.
Kassim said politics in Nigeria had become largely driven by the pursuit of personal wealth rather than a genuine desire to improve the lives of citizens.
He made this known in an interview with Sunday PUNCH during his first visit to Nigeria since his appointment as the acting spiritual leader of the church.
The cleric advised Nigerians to carefully assess candidates before voting in the forthcoming general elections, stressing the need to elect people with ideas capable of bringing positive change to the country.
“Unfortunately, politics in Nigeria is not like politics in other places, because politics here is for them to make money. I will advise that before you vote this year, think very well, know the type of people you will vote for.
“You vote for people that are going to be profitable, the people that will bring a positive idea to the country and to people, not the people who are just going to be going there and looking for their own pocket and their family alone. This is very prominent in Nigeria nowadays,” he said.
Addressing young Nigerians, Kassim urged them to participate actively in elections and avoid choosing candidates simply because they were popular or enjoyed widespread support.
He described youths as the future of the country and urged them to use their votes to promote national development.
“My advice to the youth, as I have said, is that the youth are the tomorrow of everywhere they are. They are still going to be the tomorrow of the country, too. They need to be very prominent in voting, and do not just vote for people because you think that people want to vote for them,” he said.
Kassim added that young voters should support candidates with ideas capable of promoting growth and development.
Kassim, who said he had lived in the United States for more than 50 years, noted that petrol prices there varied depending on the type of fuel, but maintained that Nigerians should enjoy the benefits of local refining.
“In Nigeria, I do not expect that the oil should be high rocketing the price, when you manufacture the oil here, at least people should be able to enjoy the benefit of it.”