AKINWALE ABOLUWADE
The President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, Bishop Francis Wale Oke, on Thursday, lamented the general insecurity in the land, urging President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to declare a state of emergency on insecurity.
Bishop Oke spoke after the 1st Quarter Joint NAC/NEC Meeting of the PFN in 2024, held at its headquarters in Lagos.
Among the national officers of the PFN at the meeting are the Deputy President, Archbishop Johnpraise Daniel; National Secretary, Dr Cosmas Ilechukwu; and the National Treasurer, Rev. Samuel Aboyeji.
The PFN president said the economic hardship being experienced by Nigerians had been compounded by the spate of insecurity plaguing the country.
Oke, who doubles as the Presiding Bishop of the Sword of The Spirit Ministries as well as the Chancellor of Precious Cornerstone University, Ibadan, urged the President not to handle the security challenges in the country with kid gloves.
As a way forward, he advised President Tinubu to use his executive power as the Commander-in-Chief of the Nigeria Armed Forces to crush insecurity and create a safe haven for the citizens.
However, noting that President Tinubu cannot solve the problems all alone, he called for the support of key stakeholders in the land as well as prayers of all Nigerians.
The Bishop said, “Nigerians are living in a very dangerous time. There’s insecurity everywhere and there is terrible economic challenges. We call on the President to declare a state of emergency on insecurity in the country.
“We also use this opportunity to call on everyone who participated in the elections of last year to note the fact that politics is over and so bury the hatchet. We call for unity among all our leaders, irrespective of the party they belong, to join hands together with President Tinubu to build a strong, united and prosperous country for all.
“We call on President Tinubu to be president indeed. Nigerians are in so much pain. Blood is flowing everywhere. There’s food scarcity and there are other sundry challenges associated with insecurity. That’s why he must, as a matter of urgency, declare a state of emergency on insecurity in the country.”
The PFN condemned an alleged threat by those who didn’t win elections and who have reportedly vowed to make the country ungovernable for the president.
The Fellowship noted that it was not a good idea for those who lost in an election, which has now been validated by the highest court in the land (the Supreme Court) to insist on carrying on as if campaign is still on.
Bishop Oke urged the Federal Government to work on the economic problems plaguing the country urgently, stating that the 65 million strong members of the PFN are behind the president and will continue to support him.
He further stressed, “We will continue to give you counsel and we are prepared to join hands with you to develop Nigeria. Be rest assured that we are behind you in your effort to build a peaceful, prosperous and united Nigeria.”
PFN also threw its weight behind the call for State Police, saying it is urgently needed. It stated that the Nigeria Police, as currently constituted, makes it difficult for its personnel to perform optimally.
The Christian body submitted that apart from the fact that the Force is overstretched, personnel who were born, bred and had lived all their lives in Lagos will find it difficult to perform the role of policing Zamfara or Cross River State or Borno because they do not understand the local dialect and are not familiar with the terrain.
Observing that the closure of the borders by the previous administration contributed to the current food crisis being experienced in the country, it asked the Federal Government to open the borders for essential goods to come in.
But, it warned that care must be taken to ensure that the proliferation of small and light weapons are curtailed.
On the controversial BBC documentary on the late Prophet TB Joshua, the PFN said the deceased clergyman was not a member of the Fellowship and so could not comment on the documentary.
The Christian body said that PFN doesn’t condone anything outside the scriptures and doesn’t encourage practices that are controversial or call the Christian faith to question.
