Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has called for the emergence of God-fearing leaders as a prerequisite for tackling corruption, strengthening governance and accelerating Nigeria’s socio-economic development.
The governor said the nation’s persistent challenges, including corruption, poverty, inequality and insecurity, are rooted largely in a deficit of integrity and moral leadership.
Fubara made the remarks on Thursday at the Government House in Port Harcourt while receiving the World President of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Erton Köhler, his wife, Andriene Marques Köhler, their daughter, Mariana Marques Köhler, and other senior church officials.
He argued that leaders who recognise their accountability to God are less likely to abuse public trust, stressing that the absence of the fear of God in leadership has contributed significantly to Nigeria’s current socio-economic difficulties.
“Our country is where it is today because we lack the fear of God,” the governor said.
“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.”
Fubara commended the Seventh-day Adventist Church for its sustained investment in education, describing its schools and universities as vital institutions for raising competent professionals and morally responsible leaders.
He said the church’s commitment to education demonstrates that religious organisations can make meaningful contributions to national development beyond evangelism by investing in human capital development.
According to him, the establishment and continuous support of quality educational institutions have helped produce graduates equipped not only with academic knowledge but also with the character and leadership values needed to build a better society.
“We need the right people being in the right place, prepared properly with good minds. That is what we need, not just in Nigeria but around the whole world,” he said.
The governor also linked many of Nigeria’s security and economic challenges to inadequate social welfare policies, arguing that citizens are less likely to engage in criminal activities when they have access to quality education, affordable healthcare, decent remuneration and opportunities for a secure future.
He advocated a system that enables average-income earners to educate their children, access quality healthcare and own homes after years of productive service, maintaining that such measures would significantly reduce insecurity and other social vices.
Fubara thanked the church delegation for its visit and prayers for Rivers State, assuring them of his administration’s continued support for the church’s activities.
Earlier, Köhler said he was in Nigeria to participate in a major church conference that would bring together thousands of Seventh-day Adventist ministers for leadership and empowerment training aimed at strengthening their pastoral ministry and service to society.
He expressed appreciation to the Rivers State Government for the warm reception accorded his delegation, describing the visit as memorable.
The church leader also highlighted the global footprint of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, disclosing that the denomination has more than 24 million members and over 182,000 places of worship across 212 countries and territories worldwide.
