TRACKING_____Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has said that participation of Christians in active politics has somehow become controversial with different viewpoints.
The Vice President stated this in the forward he wrote on the book, “Road to the House” written by a member representing Ughelli North/Ughelli South/Udu Federal Constituency of Delta State in the House of Representatives, Rev. Francis Waive.
The book is the personal account of the lawmaker in his journey to the House of Representatives.
According to him, “We should know that the issue of Christians actively participating in politics is somewhat controversial with widely different points of view. Some hold the view that politics is a dirty business and not a fit environment for a Christian to inhabit.”
Speaking at the book launch, Deputy President of the Senate, Ovie Omo-Agege said that with the election of Honourable Waive, the Urhobo nation can now boast of real representation in the House of Representatives.
He said: “For the first time, he is the real representative of my people. He is my project. He is Urhobo Project.
And he is Delta Project. For some of us, we were privileged and lucky to have identified him early enough.
“We felt it’s time to bring the best material, someone who will come and do exactly what the framers of the constitution envisaged -— representation not appointment or employment —- but somebody who will come and do that.
“We didn’t take our decision in isolation. We were privy to most of his writings. I speak for myself. We have read so much about his writings and we are aware of his radio programme. I kept wondering who he was. He was an equal-opportunity critic.
“He has only been in the National Assembly for less than nine months, he has left his footprints everywhere. We have not had that with other people,” he said.
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila said that when he heard that a reverend was a member of the House, he could not connect the relationship between being an Honourable member and a pastor.
He said: “When I just met Rev. as I fondly call him about nine months ago, I couldn’t connect the two. How can you be an Honourable member and Reverend Father? But I got to know him as I continue to relate with him. He was one of the earliest new members I related with.
“He struck me as an upright person. As I got to know him, I understood perhaps why he even wanted to delve into the murky water of Nigerian politics. On the floor of the chambers and outside the chambers, his mien and disposition on national issues are perhaps what I will encourage those of you who are out there and don’t want to come to politics to learn at his feet even as young as he is in politics.
“You see politics is already robbing off on him. A few weeks ago, he displayed a kind of passion he has for his people from Delta State when an issue came up about the establishment of an institution.
“That was the first time I saw him lose his cool. For those of us on the floor that day, I think a lot of people were surprised. I think it is the same passion he has for God that he has brought into politics.
“As many men of God should come and join us on this side so that we can make Nigeria a better place. That is the example he has set,” the Speaker noted.
Speaking to journalists on what gave him the inspiration for the book, Rev. Francis Waive said; “God and the fact that I have always had a push that it can be done differently. And it can be done differently. To me, this book is my contribution to the development of our democracy to encourage good people to go into politics.
“To me, politics is not a dirty game. It’s just that there are so many dirty people who play it. And that is why I wrote the book. Some of us can play it and play it clean and good,” the reverend averred.
