OYEDEPO CALLS FOR DECISIVE ACTION AGAINST BOKO HARAM

Bishop of Living Faith Church Worldwide, Bishop David Oyedepo, has described the recent bombings by Boko Haram in some parts of the country  as a national issue, while urging the Federal Government to tackle the menace before they set the entire country ablaze.

He spoke with journalists at the weekend  during the matriculation ceremony of Landmark University,  Omu-Aran, Kwara State, for the 2010/2011 academic session, during which 953 were admitted into various degree programmes.

'I think this Boko Haram has to be frontally dealt with before they plunge the entire nation into a very serious crisis. The Federal Government should deal with the issue tactfully before the sect sets the entire nation ablaze. Those behind the crisis should be fished out and dealt with and there should be no sympathy for them, Oyedepo said, adding: 'Let me state clearly that this is not a religious matter, but a national issue. This incident is too close, too risky, it has to be frontally dealt with appropriately for the nation to be at peace.''

Oyedepo faulted calls by some that the Inspector General of Police (IG) should resign because the bombings this time around occurred at his doorstep, the police headquarters, saying that those whose duty it is to secure the edifice didn't perform.

He  admonished President Goodluck Jonathan to appoint qualified people of impeccable character as ministers in his cabinet so as to move the nation forward, adding that it would be counter-productive if political interest dictated the exercise rather than national interest.

Addressing the matriculating students, Oyedepo advised them to make the best of their education at the university, adding that, 'We're committed to giving you all that is required to guarantee your requirements in your academic pursuits and to prepare you for rewarding careers in future. We're committed to ensuring that your parents' investments in your education will not be futile.''

Furthermore, he advised them 'to rise like a soldier being raised from this royal academy to a commitment and dedication to salvage the image of your great nation and indeed of our beloved continent. It's very clear that you're urgently required and therefore, cannot afford to disappoint the country, your Creator, parents, and this great institution.'