The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has said the Federal Government has run out of ideas in the growing insecurity plaguing the country.
The President of CAN, Reverend Supo Ayokunle, said this on Sunday during a Thanksgiving service in honour of Bishop Francis Wale Oke as the newly elected president of the 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.
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”.
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.”
