The Senior Pastor of House on the Rock Church, Paul Adefarasin has stated that Nigeria was not divinely established, but was rather formed as a colonial entity intended for British economic benefit.
Adefarasin, who stated this during a sermon on Sunday, also refuted the notion that Nigeria’s foundation was based on divine intentions, emphasising that historical and colonial interests influenced its creation.
“Nigeria, I do not believe it was created by God. I don’t believe it. I believe that Elizabeth the First got into a deal with the Ottoman Empire, and they had a deal concerning the Sudan, and those who care to buy the book, buy the book,” citing the title of a book “The Martyrdom of Man.”
He also stated that Nigeria’s constitution lacks legitimacy, saying it was imposed by soldiers, rather than by the people.
“I have no problem with people of any faith being in charge, but they must adhere to the Constitution of ‘We the people.” And when a constitution proposed to be of ‘We the people’ and it is not, it’s some soldiers who wrote it, you have to question why we obey that constitution.
Referencing Psalm 11, verse 3, Adefarasin said, “If the foundation is corrupted, if it is destroyed, what can the righteous do?”, he stressed, “To build a sustainable building, you have to build a solid foundation. You do a soil test, you do your engineering statistics, and you determine what will carry this building and make it last for a long time.”
Adefarasin also addressed governance and corruption, citing shoddy road projects as a metaphor for Nigeria’s flawed systems.
“There’s a difference between any road and the road they build that takes you to the Lagos Airport. That’s a proper road. Why they build roads and resurface them wrongly, I don’t know.
“Somebody suggested to me that it’s that kind of road because they want the same contract next year. That means that somebody sitting down somewhere making decisions has no sense of equity and justice,” he said.
The pastor further dismissed Nigeria’s celebrated nationalist leaders, Obafemi Awolowo, Tafawa Balewa, Ahmadu Bello, and Nnamdi Azikiwe, as “not the true founding fathers.”
Instead, he attributed the nation’s creation to British officials in Whitehall and Lord Lugard, whose girlfriend allegedly coined the name “Nigeria.”
Awolowo, Tafawa Balewa, Ahmadu Bello, and Azikiwe are not the founding fathers of Nigeria, in my opinion.
“The founding fathers of Nigeria are some men from Whitehall and a fellow called Tob Goldman, his girlfriend, she named the country, and also Lugard.
“This nation was created for the business of the British purse, so they wouldn’t have to bear the bill for the not as prosperous and wealthy part of the country,” the cleric said.
