Prioritise Security, Cleric Tells FG

Fidelis David in Akure

The federal government has been tasked to see peace and stable security as the panacea for Nigeria’s development and progress.

The President and General Overseer of the United Apostolic Church of Christ (UACC) Worldwide,  Rev Dr. James Bayo Owoyemi,  stated this yesterday at the 2023 United Apostolic Church of Christ (UACC) Annual Financial Report and Special Thanksgiving held at the church missionary headquarters in Akure, the Ondo State capital.

This followed  bandits attack on Kafin Koro community in Paikoro Local Government Area of Niger State yesterday where a Reverend Father, Isaac Achi of Saint Peter and Paul Catholic Church was burnt to death.

Owoyemi, while berating the incident, called on the government to give priority attention to security in the country in order to adequately protect its citizenry.

According to him, “The government needs to be proactive regarding the security issue of Nigeria. It is unfortunate that Nigeria is in this mess, but we believe that when good leadership is enthroned, normalcy will return to the country. Unfortunately, the security lapses in Nigeria is everywhere and not in the northern part of the country alone.

“In the Southwest, Southeast, and South-south, one can’t move freely, as terrorists are everywhere. But we believe in God that normalcy and peace will return to our country,” calling on electorate to choose wisely in the 2023 general election.

The cleric added: “Leadership is the problem of Nigeria; we are blessed with abundance of resources but unfortunately Nigerians suffer because of leadership failure, and given this, God will intervene and change the story for good.

 “We have been praying before now and God has promised that he will intervene in the political situation of Nigeria and the government of the country, and by the Grace of God, Nigerians will go to the poll. We are believing in God that there will be restoration in Nigeria because God will enthrone the person of his own heart to be at the helms of affairs of the country.

“We are advising the citizens to vote according to their conscience. While electing the officials, ensure that you don’t allow people to buy your conscience, don’t sell your vote, make sure you vote according to your heart, so that at the end of the day, you will be happy that you have satisfied your conscience.”

The General Overseer added that: “However, we are also advising everybody to get their PVCs from INEC. Christians should know that everyone needs to exercise their civil rights, but while you are doing that you we should ensure that we don’t allow people to influence us; we shouldn’t allow people to buy us.”

Speaking on the church annual Financial Report and Special Thanksgiving service, the clergyman said: “It is an annual event that has been on for the past 58 years. We converge here every first month of the year to deliberate on issues that we are going to face in the year-budgeting, assessing the past activities, and then project to the new year among others.”