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Renowned journalist and former Board Member of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Abuja, Comrade Obi Offiong Ojage, has delivered a sobering New Year message to Nigeria’s power holders, warning that no amount of prayer, prophecy, or spiritual posturing can rescue leaders who betray trust, conscience, and the natural order that brought them to prominence.

In the reflective message, Ojage cautioned political leaders and heads of institutions against the dangerous belief that power can be secured or sustained through shortcuts, spiritual manipulation, or the abandonment of moral responsibility. According to him, ambition that drives a person to evil practices, betrayal, or desperation is already programmed for collapse, regardless of how successful it may appear in the short term.

Ojage stressed that genuine success is never accidental. He argued that when the Almighty or Mother Nature chooses to elevate an individual, it simultaneously prepares a circle of people endowed with the capacity, commitment, and timing to support that journey. These helpers, he said, are not random companions but part of a natural and moral design meant to translate destiny into reality through hard work, strategy, and loyalty.

Turning against such people after attaining power, Ojage warned, is a grave error. He described ingratitude toward those who contributed to one’s rise as an act of self-sabotage that no prayer can undo. Even when leaders feel compelled to part ways with former allies, he advised that it must be done with fairness, peace, and dignity, reminding them that power is transient and circumstances can change unexpectedly.

The veteran journalist warned leaders to be cautious of advisers who encourage them to isolate themselves, despise old allies, or view long-standing supporters as enemies. Such voices, he said, are often driven by envy and personal ambition, seeking to displace trusted hands while disguising themselves as loyal friends. He added that internal impulses that promote resentment or hostility toward those who once stood firmly by a leader are equally dangerous.

Ojage described the encouragement of betrayal as a form of wickedness rooted in greed, jealousy, and political immaturity. Over time, he said, this behaviour leads to a gradual erosion of political strength and moral authority, leaving leaders surrounded by opportunists—many of whom were once adversaries—while genuine supporters are sidelined or persecuted.

A major thrust of Ojage’s message was his criticism of the growing reliance on religious and occult figures as tools for political advancement. He argued that many desperate politicians are deceived by claims of prophetic visions, special prayers, or supernatural guarantees of victory. In reality, he said, such victories are often the product of destiny supported by careful planning and the hard work of committed allies, not the intervention of spiritual merchants.

Ojage warned that once power is achieved, these same actors frequently entrench themselves around leaders, demanding constant financial patronage while planting seeds of suspicion and fear. Loyal allies are then portrayed as threats, leading leaders to deploy force or repression against imagined enemies, a process that ultimately destabilises governance and isolates those in power.

In a deeply philosophical conclusion, Ojage reminded leaders that conscience is the true compass of leadership. He described conscience as the inner voice of the soul and the closest link between humanity and the divine. Ignoring that voice, he said, is equivalent to waging war against oneself.

“No prayer can save a leader who chooses betrayal over gratitude and conscience,” Ojage warned. As the new year begins, his message stands as a moral call for leaders to realign with nature, honour loyalty, and recognise that power exercised without integrity and gratitude is only a temporary illusion destined to fade.