Charly Boy’s Explosive Claim: 99% of Nigerian Pastors Are “Useless”
Veteran musician and social crusader, Charles Oputa, alias Charly Boy, made headlines two days ago after claiming in a podcast interview that 99 per cent of pastors in Nigeria are useless!
The Basis for His Criticism
The 75-year-old maverick entertainer based his assertion on the failure of the clergymen to tackle Nigeria’s political leadership over the biting economic hardship and the metastasising insecurity in the country.
If you are a social listener, you’ll agree that it’s not the first time such sentiment has dominated online discourse.
The “See No Evil” Perception
Nigerians believe that the disposition of heavyweight pastors to the maladministration of the country is: “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil”.
Understanding the Faith Perspective
Well, that’s some iteration of faith which entails saying the opposite or discounting negative happenings – not to live a lie but as a counterforce! That’s why believers talk about calling things that are not as though they were! And would not lend expression to what they don’t want to see.
But that’s not even where I’m going with the caption that brought you here; the crux is still afoot. Read along.
Following Jesus’s Pattern: The Master Who Avoided Politics
It is true that Nigerian pastors, given their huge following, wield enormous influence in society. Their refusal to challenge the political establishment, impoverishing the masses, is consistent with how Jesus went about his earthly ministry.
Why “Masses” Instead of “Members”?
The use of “masses” rather than their “members” or “congregation” is deliberate, as you shall find out shortly.
Jesus Refused Political Confrontation
Yes, these men of God are only emulating the pattern of the Master who blatantly refused to be at odds with the civil authorities of His days. This turned out to be the major reason His Jewish people despised Him and wouldn’t have Him as the prophesied Messiah.
The Caesar Tax Trap: Jesus’s Political Non-Engagement
The Jewish elders went as far as trying to set him on a collision course with their Roman overlords with the trap question. This was when they sought Jesus’s opinion on their payment of tax to Caesar, the emperor.
The Master’s Response
“They brought the coin, and he asked them, ‘Whose image is this? And whose inscription?’ ‘Caesar’s,’ they replied. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.’” (Mark 12:16-17)
If Jesus, with all the prodding, pressures, and expectations to spearhead an insurrection against the Roman regime, remained a Lamb, why should His present-day successors in Nigeria do otherwise?
The Truth They’re Already Declaring
Charly Boy dismisses the pastors as useless for not speaking truth to power. If they aren’t, how about the Truth they’ve been declaring all along – which is the Gospel of Christ?
Holistic Sermons Transform Officials
A holistic sermon packs the truth that can make public officials do right by the people.
Citizens of Another World
Interestingly, the Area Fada would, in the same breath, say, “I may live in Nigeria, but Nigeria does not live in me. I don’t believe like you. I don’t want to think like you people. I’m not in the same class with you people. I come from a different space and time.”
This Describes Pastors Better
This characterisation is actually more fitting for the pastors he called useless. Scripture makes it clear that their citizenship is not of this world – the closest they are is global citizens, not Nigerians per se.
Why Fight a System Under Evil’s Control?
They understand that there is so much that can be done to repair the systems of this world; hence, they wisely opt not to dissipate energy.
The Biblical Reality Check
“We know that we are children of God and that the world around us is under the control of the evil one.” (1 John 5:19 NLT)
Why should these pastors who embody what greater bother about the world they’ve overcome (1 John 4:4) be?
The Covenant of Exemption: Like Priest, Like People
Someone may say, if not for their sake, then in the interest of their followers. This brings us to my deliberate use of “masses” instead of “flock” or “congregation” earlier.
The Principle in Action
It remains the case of “Like priest, like people.” Those connected to the grace at work in the lives of these well-regarded pastors obtain the Kingdom Citizenship that exempts them from what outsiders are passing through.
The Goshen Example
It is akin to the stark difference between life in Goshen and life in the surrounding cities during the Ten Plagues of Egypt. It was the same country, yet different lived experiences.
That’s how the Covenant of Exemption and Operating by Heaven’s Economy works.
Why Should the Protected Worry About Bad Governance?
Why should a congregation who have so consolidated its relationship with God that they enjoy:
- Special protection (Psalm 91:7)
- Inexhaustible riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19)
…be bothered about bad governance in the secular space?
Who Really Loses?
The losers may just be followers who aren’t genuinely connected and conservatives who were recently up in arms against the one who vowed never to follow a poor pastor!
The Open Invitation: Not Excluding Anyone
The indifference of Nigerian Christian clerics to malfeasances in Abuja’s three-arm zone and public bureaucracies may seem egocentric or self-absorbed, but these pastors aren’t precluding the suffering masses from finding solace in the lifeboat that their ministries represent.
Jesus Is for Everybody
They dare not because Jesus Christ – the Source – is for everybody, like Jelly Roll recently told the world. Christ made it clear to them in Matthew 10:8, “Freely you received; freely give.”
Understanding Divine Provision
As it were, it is those who lack an understanding of divine provision who would accuse God’s genuine servants of profiteering from their prophetic or pastoral mandate.
Preaching the Ark, Not Political Reform
So, rather than join the agitation for a better-governed society like activists would want them to, these pastors preach for everyone to board the Ark of God, where there are abundant supplies and protection from what is destroying those who would not come in.
Useful to Society and the Kingdom
They are therefore not useless but useful to society and the Kingdom. Their usefulness is definitely not in sparring with those controlling the levers of government at every turn.
The Endless Cycle of Activism
After leading a protest or criticising an unpopular government policy, would that spell the end? Charly Boy apparently wants these pastors to perpetually be in the trenches, heckling the government of the day.
The Demanding Task of Soul Winning
Indeed, the task of showing people the path of life and bringing them to God’s presence, where there is:
- Fullness of joy
- Pleasures forevermore at His right hand (Psalm 16:11)
…is so demanding that it leaves these pastors no time for activism.
Look Elsewhere for Activists
Therefore, Charly Boy and his likes have better looked elsewhere when seeking prominent and eminent personalities to recruit into holding the government accountable.
Peace That Transcends Political Systems
As Jesus Christ succinctly puts it, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)
Not a Function of Government
The peace and prosperity that is the lot of believers in this plane cannot be a function of any government functionary!
The Samaritan Woman’s Well vs. Living Water
It is just like the Samaritan woman whose faith was in the well dug by Jacob, which she noted served the patriarch, his children, and livestock.
“Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” (John 4:13-14)
Summary
When veteran entertainer Charly Boy declared that “99% of Nigerian pastors are useless” for failing to challenge the government over economic hardship and insecurity, he sparked fresh debate about the role of clergy in political activism. However, this article presents a theological counterargument: Nigerian pastors aren’t being negligent; they’re following the pattern of Jesus Christ, who deliberately refused to lead a political insurrection against Roman rule despite intense pressure. Drawing from Scripture, the author argues that pastors offer something far more valuable than political activism: access to divine provision and protection through the “Covenant of Exemption” that transcends earthly governments. Their mission isn’t to fix broken systems but to bring people into God’s Kingdom where they can experience supernatural provision regardless of political conditions.
Key Takeaways
- Charly Boy’s claim: 99% of Nigerian pastors are “useless” for not challenging the government
- The biblical counterargument: Pastors are following Jesus’s pattern of political non-engagement
- Jesus refused insurrection against Roman rule despite Jewish expectations
- “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s” established the principle of spiritual vs. political priorities
- Pastors are citizens of heaven, not primarily Nigerian activists
- The world is under evil’s control (1 John 5:19) – why fight a losing battle?
- “Like priest, like people”: Genuine followers share in the Covenant of Exemption
- The Goshen principle: Different experiences in the same country based on divine protection
- Psalm 91:7 and Philippians 4:19 promise supernatural provision regardless of government.
- “Jesus is for everybody” – the invitation is open to all suffering Nigerians.
- Pastors preach the Ark, not political reform – a more permanent solution
- Soul winning is demanding – leaves no time for perpetual activism
- Peace transcends politics: Believers’ prosperity isn’t government-dependent
- Living Water vs. Jacob’s well: Supernatural provision vs. earthly systems
The Bottom Line
While Charly Boy’s frustration with Nigeria’s economic and security challenges is understandable, his expectation that pastors should lead political activism misunderstands their divine mandate. Nigerian pastors aren’t being negligent or “useless,” they’re offering something far more valuable than political reform: access to a Kingdom that operates independently of earthly governments.
A Higher Calling
Their mission isn’t to fix broken political systems (which Scripture says are under evil’s control) but to bring people into a relationship with God where they can experience supernatural provision, protection, and peace regardless of who’s in power.
The Real Question
The question isn’t “Why won’t pastors protest?” but rather “Why aren’t more suffering Nigerians accepting the open invitation to board the Ark?” The door remains open. The choice is individual.
For those who choose to enter, bad governance becomes a non-issue when you’re operating under Heaven’s economy rather than Nigeria’s broken systems.
