Anglican Church underscores achievements, low points of Buhari, Ikpeazu administrations

*Urges Christains not to retaliate
The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Diocese of Umuahia, weekend highlighted the high and low points of the Federal Government under the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari and Abia State under Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu.

Arising from its 1st session of the 9th Synod held at St. Luke’s Church, Amakama in Umuahia South reviewed the performance of the federal government stating that ‘the Nigerian nation, from the current government, is passing through a crucible.

“It is tough. Civil and religious (Islamic) governance, are so mingled together that if one belongs to neither the federal civil service cum political class, nor Islamic religion, your life is majorly endangered in the current government led by President Muhammadu Buhari.

“Nigerian government as it is now has never been seen chaotic!!! There is strong feeling in some quarters that some European governments may be responsible for the instability experienced by the Buhari government in an attempt to keep the Nigerian nation as beggarly one, to ask the government to do away with constitutional law that banned homosexuality in the country.

“Only in this will these concerned Europeans, give massive aid that would be comprehensive to bring Nigeria out of her economic doom”.

In his presidential address delivered at the Synod with the theme, “Looking Unto Jesus, The Author Of Our Faith” the Archbishop of the Ecclesiastical Province of Aba and Bishop of Umuahia Diocese, His Grace, The Most Revd Dr. Ikechi Nwachukwu Nwosu, some achievements of the Buhari administration include:

“sustained crusade against Boko haram sect, regular payment of federal workers, payment of pension and gratuity to retired federal civil servants and the release through negotiation, some of the abducted Chibok and Dapchi school girls”.

Others include: the “rehabilitation of some federal roads in the country, emphasis on the need for unity and peace among Nigerians despite divisive tendencies, including herdsmen attacks, sustenance of democracy in the country for unbroken 19 years, continued campaign against corruption and legal action against suspected looters of public fund and eventual normality in the pump price of petroleum products many months after arbitrary hike by marketers.”

However, the synod lamented over the low points of the federal government includ3 “the intermittent resurgence of Boko Haram attacks and the abduction of school girls and other residents after telling Nigerians that the sect had been technically defeated is worrisome”, failure of government to punish army and police high handedness at military check points,

“the disturbing activities of rampaging herdsmen and the inability of the government to reign the militants in. “This has led to pillage and destruction of villages and communities as well as dastardly massacre of innocent residents by the crusading herdsmen”.

The synod recalled that “unemployment has continued to soar with little hope for Nigerian graduates and youths as government emphasize skills acquisition for youths without Abraham as the father while the privileged one jump out of school to occupy positions reserved for them in the same civil/public service”, stating also that “of recent, the rate of inflation has been high leading to a fall in the purchasing power of Nigerians, particularly salaried people”.

While x-raying the activities of Abia senators at the National Assembly, the synod extolled the virtues of the senator representing Abia Central, Sen. Theodore Ahamefula Orji in the area of education, empowerment, electricity, erosion control, and provision of water to his constituent made up of Umuahia North, Umuahia South, Ikwuano, Osisioma Isialalngwa North and Isialangwa South.

Beaming their searchlight on the state, the synod scored Abia state under Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu high on the re-opening the Aba General Hospital, construction of flyover at Osisioma, massive road projects I Aba, Umuahia and other parts of the state, and the on-going reconstruction of the Enyimba Stadium, as well as the Abia Lodge at Aba.

Other areas include improvements in the payment of salaries in the state, harmonization of revenue payable to government through a central payment system, elimination of multiple taxations and touting in revenue collection, repositioning of Board of Internal Revenue with a one-stop-shop complex and the promotion of made-in-Aba products.

The rest include creation of opportunities for SMEs, training of Abia youths in China, conduct of local government election and control of erosion through NEWMAP.

They highlighted the low side of the Okezie administration to include non-payment of pension and gratuity, non-payment of salaries between 5 months and 12 months to College Of Education Technical, Arochukwu, Abia Transport Corp, ASEPA, Health Management Board, and ASUBEB, stating also “existing factories have remained moribund, while government insists that it has no business being in business, leaving a lot of people that should have been engaged in such establishment to be without work”.

Interacting with newsmen after, Most Revd Dr. Ikechi Nwachukwu Nwosu, who would be retiring in 2019 said he was “simply putting things in place”, stating that he is happy and fulfilled as a clergy.

Explaining further the church stand on insecurity, the clergy man described the incessant killing in the country as pathetic, quoting the Bible book of Hebrew chapter 12 verse 2a, he advised Nigerians “to look unto Jesus for intervention”.

“Christians should not retreat spiritually. If they (herdsmen) come to murder me now, (Christians) should not take up arms, but should look unto God.”