Rt. Rev. Christopher Omotunde, Bishop of the Diocese of Ekiti, the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, has admonished political office and wealth seekers against desperation in life.
Rt. Rev. Omotunde gave the admonition on Thursday during the funeral service in honour of late Mrs. Comfort Ogunleye, at the Cathedral Church of Emmanuel, Okesa, Ado-Ekiti.
He said those in public offices should use their time on earth for the service of God and humanity.
The cleric charged Nigerians to put God first in whatever they did, noting that life was vanity and accountability before God was inevitable.
Omotunde who took his sermon from Hebrews 9:2, stressed that death was inevitable no matter the status attained by man in life.
The bishop said a wise man would always prepare for his death by accepting Christ as his Lord and Saviour, living right and developing good relationship with God and fellow human beings.
He emphasised that man, unlike animal, would face God’s judgment after death because he had the breath of God in him.
The cleric advised Nigerians to stop the pursuit of vanity because, “nobody can take his wealth, power, fame and property out of this world when he dies.”
He said: “If you are here and you don’t spare a thought for the day of death, you are a fool. If you have thousands of clothes at home, only one will be used to bury you.
“If you swindle to acquire wealth, embezzle money to build mansions, doctor records in office, you are not taking them to heaven; they will all be left behind here.
“No matter how beautiful your mansion is, when you die, you will not be buried inside it. The best your children will give to you is to bury you outside your house.
“When you die, all your belongings will be shared without your input. All the positions and offices you are holding tight unto will be taken away from you.
“In fact, when an office holder dies in Nigeria, people will be struggling to take over his seat even when his mourning has not been concluded.”
Omotunde urged the children of the deceased not to depart from the legacies of prayer, dedication and service to God handed down to them by their late mother.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the deceased, who died on January 19, was the mother-in-law of the Bishop of the Diocese of Ekiti West, the Rt. Rev. Rufus Adepoju.
The funeral was attended by clerics and other guests from across the country. (NAN)