Senior Pastor of House on the Rock, Paul Adefarasin, has stirred intense public debate after asserting that Nigeria was not a divine creation but a colonial construct designed to advance British economic interests.
He further dismissed prominent nationalist leaders such as Nnamdi Azikiwe, Obafemi Awolowo, and Ahmadu Bello as the true architects of the nation.
Delivering a sermon on Sunday, Adefarasin maintained that Nigeria’s origin lies in human bargains rather than divine intent.
“I do not believe Nigeria was created by God. Elizabeth the First entered into an arrangement with the Ottoman Empire concerning Sudan, and this land was apportioned to the sons of Ishmael. It’s clear from historical records,” he said, referencing The Martyrdom of Man.
He also criticised the legitimacy of Nigeria’s governance framework, arguing that its constitution was imposed by military rulers rather than emerging through a democratic process.
“When a constitution starts with ‘we the people’ but was written by soldiers, we should question why we obey it. Psalm 11:3 says, ‘If the foundation is destroyed, what can the righteous do?’” he stated.
The cleric used governance failures as an example of systemic dysfunction, citing poor road infrastructure.
“Compare the road leading to Lagos Airport with others. Someone once said they deliberately keep roads in poor condition so they can award contracts yearly. That means decision-makers lack justice and equity,” he lamented.
Rejecting the popular narrative of Nigeria’s independence heroes as founding fathers, Adefarasin argued that the real architects were British colonial officials.
“The true founders of Nigeria are men from Whitehall — one of them, Tob Goldman, his girlfriend who gave Nigeria its name, and Lord Lugard. The country was built for British business interests so they could avoid financing less viable regions,” he declared.
He concluded that the Church bears a duty to correct the flaws of Nigeria’s colonial foundation, stressing that sustainable progress requires rebuilding the country’s structural base.
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