Nigerian Baptist Convention charges FG to address the ills of the country

The Nigerian Baptist Convention has called on the federal government to rise up to the challenges in the country by addressing the untold hardship the people of the country are undergoing with a view to providing a lasting solution.

The call was contained in a communique issued at the just concluded 104th annual session of the denomination held this week in Abuja presided over by its president who is also the president of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev (Dr.) Samson Olasupo Ayokunle.

According to the special assistant to the President, Mr. Adebayo Oladeji, the communique focused on the health status of President Muhammadu Buhari; security challenges, anti-corruption war; unemployment, unpaid wages and salaries with attendant problems, the menace of the university admission, including delayed budget 2017 and proffered a far reaching solutions to them.

The Convention expressed dismay over the political undertone that surrounds the health of Mr President especially the lack of openness in telling Nigerians that he went for medical attention.‎

However, expressed gratitude to the Lord God Almighty “who in His infinite mercy had graciously brought our President back on his feet and restored his health.

We therefore urge Nigerians to continue to pray for him for more strength and mercy of God as he resumed office.

We advise the President not to hesitate in going for further treatment if that would help in quickly restoring him back to sound health so as to continue performing his duties to the nation.”

“We encourage and advice Nigerians to have positive disposition towards the lives of our leaders by constantly wishing them well and praying for them at all times,” the communique stated.

The Church commended the Federal Government for sustaining and winning war against various security challenges of Boko Haram insurgency, Kidnapping, Rape, Gun-men attacks, Militantancy, Ritual killing, Fulani Herdsmen and Farmers clashes in various parts of the nation and of recent the communal crisis in Ile-Ife that have confronted the country.

The communique further read: “We also observe and commend the Federal Government in the efforts to stem the tide of criminal activities and resettlement of Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) in the North Eastern part of Nigeria due to Boko Haram insurgency as well as the securing of the release of 21 Chibok girls. We urge the government not to relent in getting the rest released before their lives are totally messed up by the terrorists.”

“We observe the persistent crisis in Southern Kaduna, Agatu Community in Benue State and other places in the East, South South Western Nigeria. We condemn in strong terms the reckless killing and destruction of property taking place in the areas.”

“However, the Convention noted that despite the steps taken so far by government in tackling security problems in the country there were still various security challenges in the nation, urging the Government to take serious measures in order to bring them to an end.

Some of the measures the Convention suggested include; the need for government to be proactive in responding to security challenges and bring the perpetrators and their sponsors to book, provide relief materials for the affected communities in Southern Kaduna Area and other places to cushion the effect of the crisis.
The Fulani herdsmen caught or implicated in criminal activities should be made to face the full wrath of the law for their crime without sentiment or emotional appeal and the government should leave no stone un-turned in fighting Boko Haram insurgency and their sponsors at all levels.

“We encourage government to intensify effort to secure the release of the remaining Chibok girls still in the custody of Boko Haram.

Government must equip and empower our Law Enforcement Agencies to enable them tackle the security challenges in our nation. For instance, their welfare should be given priority to boost their morale and confidence in the war against crime and criminal activities.”

“Since the people of Southern Kaduna are farmers, we urge government to provide enough security in the area to enable them return to their agricultural business and farming activities without hindrance. There should be security cover in the villages as well.

The Fulani herdsmen blocking highways, robbing and kidnapping people for ransom from Abuja, Kaduna to Jos should be apprehended and brought to book without further delay.”

On anticorruption fight, the church also commended the Federal Government for her stand on corruption and the various steps taken so far to sustain the war against corruption.

“We equally observe that several amount of money running to trillions of naira have been recovered from people and locations in Nigeria.

We therefore urge government to continue the fight against corruption without sentiment, bias or selective disposition. We also call on Government to put the money recovered so far into the economy of the nation so as to positively affect and impact the lives of Nigerians.”

“We observe the on-going social empowerment program of the Federal Government of Nigeria and appreciate the vision. We encourage that such program should be supported by all tiers of government in Nigeria. ”

“We observe with dismay the delay in the passage of 2017 budget and the attendant financial and untold hardship which this has brought to Nigerians.

This delay may not be unconnected with the friction between the executive and legislative arms of government. We therefore urge the two arms of government to see themselves as partners in progress and end all rivalries.

The National Assembly is therefore called upon to speedily pass the budget to minimise the present financial hardship in the country.

‘We observe and commend the Federal Government’s efforts on the release of Parish Club loan refund to the State Government. The money is to enable the State Governments to pay their staff salaries and provide other social amenities and infrastructures.

However, we observe that some State Governments did not use the money for the specific purposes for which they are meant. There is information that the monies are being diverted and or misappropriated. We urge the Federal Government to compel the State Governments to use the money for the purposes for which they are released.”