The Christian Association of Niigeria has said the growing insecurity plaguing the country is a reflection that the government has run out of ideas.
The President of CAN, Reverend Supo Ayokunle said this yesterday during a Thanksgiving service in honour of Bishop Francis Wale Oke as the newly elected president of Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria,
Ayokunle said speaking truth to power, especially on the issue of security in the country, should not earn anyone the tag of government’s enemy.
Reacting to the issue of Hijab in Kwara State, Ayokunle said the approach of Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq was wrong adding that he had said it to his face during a meeting with him.
Ayokunle said but for the intervention of leadership of CAN, some Christians would have fought back saying “there is madness in Christians as well.”
Addressing Oke, he said, “This is an intimidating assignment but the Lord will help you. When I was elected the President of Baptist, I went to Baba Obasanjo. He said, ‘My President, I hope you have not come here to ask me to carry your burden. Everybody will bear his burden. All of us here can only share the burden by praying with you. He said the problem that you may face don’t take it to Obasanjo but to God. He is the burden bearer.’
“You have to constantly speak against and proffer solutions to the insecurity in Nigeria.
“The way the issue of insecurity is being handled in Nigeria suggests that those in power don’t know what to do again. They give assurances, but it seems they don’t have the things to bring the assurances to pass. It is only God. One time, we were to have our convention in Abuja and some people suggested that I should contact the chief security officer whether it was safe to have our convention in Abuja. The chief security officer said, ‘My Lord spiritual, it is you we are looking up to.’ I felt ashamed of myself. The security agents don’t have the power of revelation that you have.
“You have to speak against insecurity and as you speak against it, people would hate you. Especially the leaders that are struggling and don’t know the way out again. They will take you as an enemy. You will be faced with difficulty of religious tension. Like what happened in Kwara State, I have been privileged to have a private meeting with the governor of Kwara State in the presence of the Vice President and the CAN chairman in Kwara State. I told the governor ‘that anyone who does not want bloodshed of anybody – either Christians or Muslims – would not make the kind of pronouncement that you made.’ We are to respect constituted authority but we are not to shy away from the truth”.
The CAN president lamented lopsided and skewed appointments that have characterised the current government as one of the reasons Nigerians remain polarised.
“There is madness in Christians as well. It took me time for us to convince the people against fighting back. Those in authority should be very careful. Skewed appointments are polarising us as a people. Nigeria is a plural society and everybody has a right that should be respected. Our democracy should be a home grown democracy that would recognise diversity. I once challenged the National Judicial Commission on the appointment of judges. You appointed 13 judges from the north and seven from the south. That is an insult. We cannot continue like this.
“Everybody must be given a sense of belonging if we must continue to do pilgrimage together. As a Christian leader, you need to speak truth to power. Every day I wake up, I say God you have deducted one day from my leadership assignment. It is very challenging.”
Oke, who expressed delight, said, “I felt grateful to God. There are thousands who are very competent to lead that fellowship. Who am I? What do I have? The Pentecostals are over 65million in this nation. One of our denominations is of 12 million. I don’t know what God found in me to ask me to lead at a time like this.
“I will give it my best shot and in the fear of God. I have seven-point agenda. The challenges of Nigeria are multifaceted. It is a very difficult time. Can anybody be oblivious of the challenges by the herdsmen when people can no longer sleep with their eyes closed? Farmers can no longer farm. It has been an increasing burden. The challenges of Nigeria are multi-faceted and every segment must play its roles well.”
Oke urged government to deal decisively with criminals instead of negotiation with them
“We want to appeal to those who are in power; do your job and deliver justice. A good government will not negotiate with bandits. You are in power to provide security. Those that should be jailed should be jailed. Those that should be killed should be killed. That is the responsibility of government. Those who are in power are not there to negotiate with killers. Bring the full weight of the law on the criminals. Don’t expect us to kill the killers, to kill the rapist. No, that is what we elected you to do. Protection of lives and property is what we elected you for.”
In his address, the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, said, “We are dealing with challenges in Nigeria. We are dealing with ethnic and religious challenges. I want to appeal to all of us, we need to be praying for this country and the people in leadership position.”
