State Of Nigerian Nation Worries Anglican Communion, Nike Diocese
TAIWO ADELU
The Anglican Communion (Nike Diocese) has joined its voice with other agitators demanding for an end to insecurity, excesses of the security forces and enthronement of good governance in the Nigerian society.
The Nike Diocese, which held its 5th Synod between 1 and 4 November, 2020 at St. Jude’s Church, Owo, Owo Missionary Archdeaconry and Cathedral Church of St. Cyprian, Abakpa Nike, Enugu, deliberated on the state of Nigerian nation and as a strong stakeholder, the Synod called on the Federal Government of Muhammadu Buhari to fix the nation now, urging the President to restructure Nigeria before it degenerates to crisis..
The Synod notes that the #ENDSARS# protests were not entirely protests against the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) Unit of the Police as such, but protest against all forms and manifestations of the culture of impunity, which is the hallmark of governance in Nigeria at all levels.
“When impunity becomes the guiding and directing principle of state policy, rule of law abdicates, injustice in all its ugly forms become the rule and peace cannot reign in such a nation.
That is the state of the Nation and that is what the whole nation, except the few individuals in government and legislature, not only the youths are protesting. Unfortunately, the protest met with the usual reactions aimed not only at resisting the reforms called for, but rather to maintain, preserve and continue propagating the status quo ante,” the Synod said at the end of its second session on Wednesday where issues concerning the church, particularly the spiritual growth, structural development of the Diocese and the plight of the common man under the harsh economic and political climate of the country and the nature of the government were fully deliberated upon under the leadership of Rt. Rev. Dr. Christian Onyeka Onyia, Bishop of Nike Diocese
The Nike Diocese condemned the shedding of the blood of innocent youths at the Lekki toll plaza in Lagos and the official denial of the gruesome murder of the youths by the authorities, , adding “the bloodshed at Lekki toll gate was a tool in this direction of attempt to resist reforms, so also the subsequent various acts of sponsored brigandage, looting, killing and destruction that followed on the heels of the shooting at Lekki toll gate.
“The church and Nike Diocese cannot keep quiet when these things are happening. That will not be in the spirit of our Synod 2020 theme, Church; a Movement not a Monument which clearly points and directs us to think of human beings as the foundation of our evangelism.
“The Synod mourns with the parents and families of all those youths who paid the supreme sacrifice (death) while protesting peacefully against injustice, and brutality suffered at the hands of the personnel of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and other law enforcement agencies in the #ENDSARS# protests.
“The Synod condemns the hijack of the ideal intentions of the youth by miscreants and hoodlums resulting in the killings of private citizens and some security agents, looting and destruction of properties including private properties, banks, public infrastructure and security infrastructure.”
The Church called President Buhari-led government to quickly come up with definite and lasting solutions to end the bad governance that led to the protests in the first place.
The Synod continues to lament and condemn in the strongest terms the continued spate of insecurity in the country, particularly the mindless, callous and unwarranted killings going on in the Christian area of southern Kaduna in Kaduna State; armed banditry and the menace of identified Fulani herdsmen in the country openly led by and coordinated by the Fulani Cattle Breeders Association known as Miyetti Allah.
The Synod further strongly condemns the seemingly selective application and use of the national security apparatus against some elements and sections of the country, while turning a blind eye to threats to national security posed by criminal elements in other privileged sections, which have become a safe-haven to killers, and kidnappers for ransom, such that the United States of American Special Forces had to recently rescue a citizen of that country, who was kidnapped in neighbouring Republic of Niger and transported across our porous northern border into Northern Nigeria.
“We note that this porosity may not be unrelated to the avowed and expressed policy of the present government to allow Fulanis from all over the West African sub region free access and settlement in this country without visa and we ask that this policy be reversed in the interest of Nigeria’s national security,” the Synod said.
The Synod urges church leaders to join hands with the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in fighting against the applicability of the controversial Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) aimed at taking over the Board of Trustees of the churches by the Directors to be appointed by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), saying “It is an indirect way of infusing false doctrines in the spirituality and management of the churches.”
The Synod urges all the affected states in Nigeria to vehemently resist the passage of the National Water Resources Bill 2020 into an Act of the National Assembly.
“This is a ploy by the Federal Government to take over the water resources of the states of the federation and the adjoining lands in order to implement the obnoxious rural grazing (RUGA) policy through the backdoor.”
On Buhari’s administration war against corruption, the Synod appeals that there should be no sacred cows and that it should not be politicized.
“The Anti graft agencies should not turn their faces, turning blind eyes to persons of particular political parties, religious beliefs and ethnic nationalities; Anybody involved in corrupt activity should be properly investigated by appropriate agencies and prosecuted according to extant laws and statutes of the nation.”
The Church also frowns at the high increase of electricity tariff and removal of petroleum subsidy by the Federal Government without much effort at construction and rehabilitation of refineries and pipelines. This has increased the bills paid by the poor masses. The Synod thereby encourages the negotiation ongoing between government and Organised Labour with the aim to redressing the unfair economic imbalance.
The Synod regrets the treatment now being meted to retired civil/public servants whose due pensions and gratuities are not paid regularly or not at all and as a result are dying daily.
“Efforts should be made to release their pensions and gratuity especially the primary school teachers who are the worst affected. The Synod commends the upward review of the Teachers’ salaries by the Federal Government and advises the States and Local Governments to implement same in their various localities.
“The Synod calls on the Federal Government and the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to find a common ground to resolve and end the ongoing industrial action by the lecturers. The interest of the students who have almost lost an academic year should also be considered by the Federal Government and ASUU.
The federal government received applause in the area of health, especially the measure taking to curb the spread of novel Coronavirus.
As at Thursday, 4 November, 2020, Nigeria has recorded a total number of 63,173 cases out ofn which 59,634 have recovered and 1,151 deaths.
“We commend all medical and health personnel who risked or lost their precious lives in attacking that horrible and deadly new disease that had no approved drugs for its cure. May God comfort and help the families of these “soldiers of the health” who died in the emergency processes involved in the handling of infected patients of COVID-19.” The Synod commends the federal /state governments for the efforts to minimize the spread of COVID-19 pandemic in the country and decries the hoarding and withholding of the distribution of COVID-19 palliatives in warehouses rather than distributing them to the masses
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