The National President, Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Bishop Wale Oke, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari not ignore the concerted agitations for separation coming from ethnic groups in the country, saying it is a result of wickedness that has pervaded the nation.
Oke stated this while playing host to members of the University of Lagos Christian Union Alumni who paid him a courtesy visit in Ibadan on Tuesday.
The PFN President said Nigerians were angry because of the height of insecurity which he said had never been this serious in Nigerian history. He posited that failure of government to protect citizens and promote equity was largely responsible for the call for disintegration by many ethnic leaders and youths
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He said: “Mr. President, it is people that love you that will tell you the truth. You have fought to keep Nigeria 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 the banditry and all manner of evils that pervade Nigeria. The country is far from being fine and the people are suffering, that is why frantic calls are being made for the country to separate. The agitation for separation has never been this loud, not even during the civil war. It is not too late to bring Nigeria together if Mr President would exert his authority as the Commander-in – Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces”.
Oke stressed that pentecostal leaders were not speaking truth to power for any pecuniary gains, adding that the need for government to be fair and just to every citizens was their prime motivation in order to have a peaceful and prosperous nation.
“ We pentecostals love you and are praying for you. But 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. Bring all Nigerians together and do not allow a tribe to lord it over another tribe in Nigeria.
“Be just, fair and give equal justice to everybody. A lot of people perceived nepotism in your appointments. Certain tribe dominates security apparatuses. 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, would 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 contracts, we are not begging for appointments. We are insisting Nigeria should be properly governed with equitable justice, that is not just done but seen to be done.
“Lots of damage had been done under this administration particularly in the area of security – the Fulani herdsmen, banditry, kidnappings, raping, killings, demanding for ransom. Mr President, when we voted you into power, we paid ransom. Asking us to pay ransom again means the government has failed.
“When you rise to deliver Nigeria from these evil people, we would not need to pay ransom the second time. We are in a situation now where people pay ransom and still get killed. It is an era of wickedness,” Oke said.
The PFN President, however, called on Nigerians to be prayerful, stressing that God is able to bring solution to all problems.
Speaking, one of the alumni members, Sister Senami Taiwo, said figure seven is very symbolic and that Bishop Oke becoming the 7th PFN president was critical.
“Remove the ashes of yesterday’s offering so that the fire of today’s sacrifice can burn. Keep seeking the face of the Lord concerning this assignment and He will lead you right,”she said.