Christian Leaders urge Government To Tackle Insecurity, Ethnic violence

Christian leaders have urged the Federal and state governments to brace up to protect Nigerians from new wave of blood letting, kidnaping and ethnic related violence as the administration prepares for another term in office.

The leaders rising from the 43rd annual Synod of the Methodist Church, Ifaki Diocese in Ekiti State,called on Security agencies to intensity efforts in releasing the remaining Chibok girls and Leah Sharibu , a 16 year old Christian girl who has refused to renounce her faith, from captivity in the hands of Boko Haram calling on the country to take advantage of modern technology in combating insecurity.

In the communique of the assembly of churches in the diocese endorsed by Bishop Sunday Aluko, the lay president Sir Alfred Ogunjana and Secretary Rev Titi Olu, the Christians stated that unless the spate of insecurity and violence are curbed, the scourge of food insecurity and loss of abled bodied young men and women will not abate.

The leaders expressed gratitude to God for the successful conclusion of 2019 elections, and urged winners in the polls at all levels to be magnanimous in victory and put the welfare of the citizens as a prime focus ,and calling on INEC to review its performance towards better performance in the future . While congratulating President Buhari and Osinbajo as well as other candidates at all levels who emerged victorious, the Christians enjoins political leaders to pursue the unity of the nation by eschewing divisive tendencies of religious bigotry, nepotism, ethnicity which are capable of heightening tension and distrust among Nigerians.

It called for a careful consideration of the agitation for local government autonomy and restructuring of the country in the best interest of the country.

On the economy, the leaders appealed to Government to initiate concrete economic reforms that will lead to visible deliverables with direct and meaningful impacts on the lives of the citizenry through employment generation and improved welfare. Other indices of socio-economic infrastructures must be pursued with vigour, focus and resilience.

Speaking on the theme of the synod ““OBEDIENCE TO GOD, IS BETTER THAN SACRIFICE; 1Samuel 15- 22b”, the synod harped on the restoration of Christian values encouraging religious groups to emphasize more on obedience to God’s words of “seek ye first the kingdom of God” in order to have all other things added. Obedience would, no doubt, change the mind set of worshipers to embrace Christian virtues.

Highlight of the synod was the unanimous reaffirmation of the request to the National Conference for the creation of the Archdiocese of Ifaki to comprise the Dioceses of Kwara, Okun, Ayedun and Ifaki, and also the creation of Diocese of Ado Ekiti,bearing in mind the strategic importance of a Methodist Church Nigeria Diocesan headquarters in the Ekiti State Capital to the spread of Methodism in Ado Ekiti and its environs.

The synod also approved the establishment of Charles Wesley School of Church Music, to train youths in church musical instruments as tools of evangelism considering the dwindling number of trained organists and instrumentalists in the Christian community.