The President, Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, Bishop Wale Oke, on Tuesday lamented that the country was going through era of wickedness occasioned by killings, raping, kidnapping and banditry.
The clergyman, however, harped on the need for President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure fairness by using his authority to ensure equity, security and peace in the country before the problems get out of hand.
Bishop Oke gave the charge in Ibadan, on Tuesday while briefing journalists during a visit paid to him by the Lagos State Varsity Christian Union at the Precious Cornerstone University Campus.
According to him, urgent steps must be taken for the country to be rescued from the verge of crisis.
He said, “We welcome our President (Muhammadu Buhari) back from the United Kingdom. Mr President, we love you and we the Pentecostals are praying for you. We want to remind this nation that at a time when our president was critically ill and a lot of people were saying he was going to die, one of our icon leaders in the Pentecostals travelled to London and under the leading of the Holy Spirit, prayed for our president and God heard our prayers and restored him. So, let nobody say or think that the Pentecostals hate this president. We don’t; we were part of the people that voted him in.
“But the Pentecostals want to remind our president of his number one responsibility of protecting the lives and properties of all Nigerians no matter where they come from. We want to remind our president that as far as he is concerned, politicking is over. Governance is what he is into now. He is not contesting to be president again. After this term, he must hand over, so please, Mr President, govern all Nigerians, love all Nigerians, be a father to all Nigerians. Bring all Nigerians together and do not allow a tribe to Lord over any other in Nigeria.
“Be just, fair and give equal justice to everybody. A lot of people perceived that there is nepotism in appointment. Certain tribe dominates security apparatuses. Some opined that even the change that was effected on security was just a token as nothing has changed fundamentally and that when the security operatives meet, the larger part of Nigeria that they are going to talk about are not on the table. Mr President, please, adjust this.
“Let justice not only be done; let it be seen to be done. In this house today, I saw courageous people who, even though they respect the leadership, will not negotiate the truth. We are not begging for oil bloc, we don’t need it. We carry superior oil. We are not begging for contract, we are not begging for appointment. We are insisting that Nigeria should be properly governed with equitable justice that is not just done but seen to be done.
“Lot of damage had been done under this administration particularly in the area of security – The Fulani herdsmen, the bandits, kidnappings, raping, killings, demanding for ransom. They will be kidnapping people and demand for ransom. Mr President, when we voted you to power we paid ransom. Asking us to pay ransom again means the government has failed. Inspector General of Police, when you were appointed as IGP, with all the pecks of office, we paid ransom.
“When you rise up to deliver Nigeria from this evil people, we would not need to pay ransom the second time. We are in situation now that people pay ransom and they still get killed. It is an era of wickedness. People will surround the president and will not tell the truth but we love you and we fear God and we want it to be well with Nigeria. You had fought to keep Nigeria as one. You rose to become a General in what is supposed to be the most prestigious military formation in Africa. Please, wade in with that experience and stop banditry, stop the wickedness and the kidnappings that are going on in Nigeria.
“If false information is being peddled that the nation is fine, the nation is far from fine. The agitation for separation has never been as loud as now; not even during the civil war. During the civil war, it was the East that wanted to go. Every other part of the nation united to bring the East back. Now, there is agitation in the South-South, South-East, South-West and North-Central. It has never been this bad. Mr President, please, rise to the occasion. It is not too late to bring Nigeria together. Damages had been done, it is not too late. If Mr President would exact his executive authority as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Nigeria can still be brought together. God bless Nigeria.”
Apostle Sunday Popoola, General Overseer, Word Communication Ministries, who charged the new PFN president to be courageous in discharging his tasks, said, “God would not call you and abandon you. I know you will succeed. Our nation is in a complete mess. The situation would have been worse but for the church. God designed it that you come on board at this time.
“Nigeria is at the threshold of her breakthrough. The point of entry into destiny and promise land is point of conflict. When the Israelites wanted to enter into the land of promise, it was a period of conflict. It was a point of make or break. We must confront the conflict. Twice we were at the threshold of the conflict in the country but our leaders would not face it boldly then. This time, you must not fail. This appears like the last chance.
“When God speaks to you, it is the end of discussion. If you will do this assignment, you must die. Only dead people can lead this nation to destiny. It is a call to high position but it is also a call to die. A dead man can’t be killed again. The only thing that they can use to threaten you is death but you don’t have anything to fear. If God says it is time please die a hero. But it is not yet time.”
Among those who were present on the occasion are the wife of the PFN President, Rev. Victoria; Mrs Senami Taiwo, Kayode Kolawole, Prof. Femi Agbede, Prof. Adams Onuka and Mr Joshua Akinola.
