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…This Is No Time To Politicise Threats, Move Decisively – PFN

…How To Contain Terrorists’ Onslaught, By Other Stakeholders

PETER EDEMA; EJIKE OMENAZU; JOY ANIGBOGU; TITILOPE JOSEPH; KAZEEM AWOJOODU

LAGOS / IBADAN – The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, in the early hours of Saturday, called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to move swiftly in response to President Donald Trump’s invasion threats.

Adeboye advised President Tinubu to negotiate a 100-day stay of action with the American President and then direct his security chiefs in Nigeria to eliminate not only terrorists but also their sponsors within 90 days, no matter how powerful they may be.

Speaking during the monthly Holy Ghost Service at the Redemption City, Pastor Adeboye lamented growing insecurity in the country and warned that Nigeria could no longer afford to treat the issue lightly.

The G.O. of RCCG recall the efforts he has made to discuss security issues with former Nigerian leaders, including late Muhammadu Buhari who, he said, gave a 90-day order to his service chiefs but did not follow it through.

WHAT TO DO NOW

He said: “In my own usual quiet way, I’ve related to all the presidents who were around when this trouble started. Whatever I discussed is between me and them. I’ve done my best, quietly, behind the scenes.

“But as I’ve always told you, you can only advise the commander-in-chief. You can’t command him. Because if you command the commander-in-chief, then you become the commander of the commander-in-chief. That doesn’t make sense.

“What should we do? I’m talking to you as my children. If I were asked to make suggestions, I would say, move fast, move diplomatically and move wisely. Find a way to convince the president of America to please delay his actions for about 100 days.

“And then, come home, tell our security chiefs, get rid of these terrorists within 90 days or resign. I’m sure this sounds familiar to those of you who have been following the situation in Nigeria.”

Alluding to Buhari, he said: “There was a president, fortunately, he’s dead now. He issued such an order. He called the service chiefs together and said, “I give you three months. Get rid of all this or resign.” He’s not around to tell you who gave him that advice. He ran with that advice.

But he didn’t follow it through. Because he gave the order, as the commander in chief of the armed forces. But the security operatives moved fast. The three months went by and the work wasn’t done. “So, I went to see him. It was in the news.

This time, somehow, the press got to know that I visited him. But they weren’t there when we talked. Unfortunately, like I said, he’s not alive now. I would’ve asked you to go and ask him. Sir, why didn’t you follow through?

WORLD POWERS WON’T ACT

He added: “When I say our leaders should move fast, move diplomatically, wisely, we must take note of the facts. That if America should attack us, China isn’t coming to defend us.

Russia won’t come to defend us. “All the so-called world leaders, they’ll talk, they’ll condemn what America has done in the strongest terms, that’s all they’ll do. Britain is not going to come and help us. No foreign powers will come to our aid.

“This isn’t the time for joking. This isn’t the time for drama. This isn’t the time for, I don’t know, a simple word for semantics. “This isn’t the time when we’ll begin to argue. Is it genocide? This isn’t the time for saying, ah, it’s not only Christians. Muslims are also involved. The point is, people are dying.

Innocent people are dying.” While reacting to President Bola Tinubu’s October 1 speech on insecurity, he stressed that some people around the President don’t tell him the truth. He said: “I almost spoke last month, when I heard the speech of my in-law, the president, when I heard the speech, particularly that section that spoke about security.

When I heard him say all is well now, that displaced people have returned to their villages, I almost spoke.

“The person who wrote that speech for my president, my in-law, doesn’t like him. And if you want to say what you mean, somebody wrote it, the president who read it, didn’t he read it before he read it? “Well, if you put it that way, then my conclusion would be that there are several people around my beloved in-law who are not telling him the truth. “I think the following day in the newspapers we read about a traditional leader being killed, whether in Kwara or Kogi, where the wife was hiding, somewhere in the house.

“It’s not the time for apportioning blames. Our president inherited this problem. And in any case, I’m an applied mathematician, and I’m more interested in trying to get the problem solved.

“Let the government use diplomatic methods to convince President Trump to give us 100 days of grace. Call the service chiefs, fortunately they’re new. Let them deliver in three months or resign. Let the government use diplomatic methods to convince President Trump to give us 100 days of grace.

“So, when I put all these things together, I know in this year that God says it’ll be remarkable, one way or another, there’ll be peace again in Nigeria. “All these years we’ve been praying for Nigeria, we can’t pray all these prayers without something happening. Unless God is no longer in his throne. At the end of it all, there’ll be peace in Nigeria again.”

WANTED: DECISIVE ACTION

Meanwhile, the President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Bishop Francis Wale Oke, has urged President Tinubu to collaborate with Trump to address the persistent killing of Christians across Nigeria.

Bishop Oke, while addressing journalists during a world Press Conference held in Ibadan, the Oyo State Capital, described the continuous attacks on Christian communities as “an undeniable case of Christian genocide” and called for urgent government action to halt the violence.

According to him, the persecution of Christians in Nigeria is no longer a matter for debate. “There is Christian genocide in Nigeria; there’s no other name to call it,” Bishop Oke declared.

“No Christian group is attacking Muslims. The patience of the Church is being stretched.” Bishop Oke expressed appreciation to former U.S. President Donald Trump for raising global awareness about the plight of Christians in Nigeria.

He, however, emphasized that any intervention should come through partnership and diplomacy rather than external interference. He said: “President Tinubu should seek cooperation with President Trump rather than oppose him.

“The President must move decisively to eliminate radical groups like Boko Haram and ISWAP so that Nigerians can live in peace.” The PFN leader stressed that the Nigerian government has a constitutional duty to protect all citizens regardless of faith or background, and acknowledged that the Tinubu administration inherited the nation’s complex security challenges but urged decisive and non-political action to end the crisis.

“Government should rise to the occasion and not politicize the matter. President Tinubu and the federal government must work with global partners to tackle this cancer,” Oke added.

SPECTRE OF ATTACK

Across the country, Nigerians have continued to react to the spectre of attacks by the US. Dr John Kome, a Christian cleric and a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, in an interview with Sunday Independent, stated that the country could be enjoying what he termed “A Questionable Sovereignty.”

Dr. John Kome, a seasoned politician and former candidate for the Ikeja 01 State Constituency, Lagos House of Assembly, while lamenting the current embarrassing situation Nigeria found itself, recalled that over two decades ago, while he was involved in a mission work in the US State of Maryland, his next door neighbours were Nigerian Fulanis who had become US citizens.

Kome, a one-time chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), stated: “Imagine a scenario where it was announced that certain religious extremists had their families back home in Nigeria wiped out in a night raid.

“Do you not think that America would like to protect the interest of their citizens and their acquaintances? Yet, some ungodly elites are denying and covering up the naked truth inside out.

“When the heads of the socalled ‘infidels’ are chopped off at the glare of phone cameras and posted on the internet, do videos and photos of such gruesome genocide hide from the global community? “I have for years been protesting the ethnic and religious killings going on in Nigeria, warning that one day, nemesis shall catch up with Nigeria, but no one person in Nigeria paid keen attention.”

Baba Aye, a veteran activist and Co-Convener, Coalition for Revelation (CORE) stated: “There are quite a few issues linked together here. First, we must not dignify Donald Trump’s seeming interest to protect Christian or any other segment of the Nigerian population as being in any way genuine.

“That being said, the Nigerian state and the ruling class it represents, lack legitimacy. They play the ethnic and religious cards to manipulate us. “They are thus responsible for the incessant violence consuming the poor masses.

“Sovereignty lies in the people. We need to call out both the Nigerian rulers and imperialist America. We must of course insist that the state rises up to its supposed responsibility of ensuring our security.

“This must include demands for our being trained and equipped for self-defence. In the final analysis, only we can safeguard our lives.”

Ambassador Kanu Ofon Emmanuel, a human rights promoter, stated that before ever President Donald Trump declared Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) and also indicated a possible US military intervention against terrorists/ terrorism, their cup was already full and the cry of the blood of innocent Nigerians killed had reached heaven, seeking for Tsunami intervention.

Dr. Emmanuel, also a Christian cleric and the Lagos State Chapter President, lnternational Human Rights Protection Service Naples, Florida, USA, further stressed that President Tinubu should act fast.

WAKE-UP CALL

He said this is the only condition to avert possible invasion of the US military in Nigeria. He stated: “The only best way for the Federal Government to handle the issue of insecurity and killings to check what could be termed as threat against the country’s sovereignty is to act faster.

“Suffice it to say that before President Donald Trump declared Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern, concrete preparation and arrangements had been made waiting for implementation.

Emmanuel stressed: “The US War Department is ready, waiting for order from the US President. “My candid advice to the Nigerian President is to act faster and protect the lives of innocent Nigerians and fight against terrorists and show evidence.

President Donald Trump’s orders must never be taken for granted.” Professor John Ebhomien, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, stressed that the declaration of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern and the threat of possible US military intervention against terrorists should serve as a wake-up call for the Federal Government to reassess its security strategies.

Ebhomien, an economist, a financial expert, and former Consultant to the United Nations Office on Project Services, as well as the International Monetary Fund/World Bank expert, stated: “Given the complexities of the security situation, the government should consider the following actions.”

Ebhomien, called for the declaration of a State of Emergency. He stated: “Declare a State of Emergency in states most affected by insecurity to prioritise resource allocation and troop deployment.”

Dr Victor Mathew, a human rights promoter and security expert, maintained that President Trump’s threat is happening because of the unserious disposition, lack of political will as well as lack of sincerity on the part of the Nigerian government in dealing decisively with the security challenges confronting the country.

Dr Mathew, the Executive Director, Kingdom Advocacy Network (KAN), continued: “I don’t think Trump will bomb Nigeria. I don’t think it will get to that. “I also believe Nigeria deserves to be designated as a Country of Particular Concern because we have had killings, especially in Christian dominated areas of Benue and Plateau states, without the killers apprehended, not to talk of being persecuted “We have IDPs in Benue State and several states of the federation, yet Nigeria is not at war.

“It is also very embarrassing for President Trump to wake us up from our slumber on the realities in our country, very sad indeed.

“My counsel for the government includes the following: Firstly, the government has to be sincere, open and humble itself and seek all kinds of help it needs because it has become very glaring that the Nigerian security architecture has been overwhelmed by activities of non-state actors.

“They dictate affairs, killing, stealing and kidnapping at will without any consequential response from the security agencies.

“Secondly, the government must begin to arrest and prosecute persons who kill others, whether they are Christians or Muslims. “Our judicial system must respond to these issues within the shortest possible time.

“The Sharia law is an infringement on the rights of non-Muslims. States with Sharia law should only deal with Muslims. “Thirdly, an economy and financial ecosystem have been created around the challenge of insecurity in Nigeria. Some military personnel, financiers, NGOs are involved.

“The government has to bust this ecosystem and take out, especially the financiers of insecurity, because money is the oxygen of this nefarious enterprise.

“How come over the years, the financiers have not been apprehended and persecuted. It is unacceptable. “The government must seek international military assistance and stop deceiving itself that it can handle the matter. Changing Service Chiefs is only a cosmetic solution to a very complex problem.”

A PRAYER ANSWERED

Hon. Charles C. Anike, National President, Eastern Union (EU, a socio-political pressure group of the people of Old Eastern Region, stated: “The declaration of Nigeria as a Country of Concern is very welcome development, and of course, we consider that a prayer answered.

“Well-meaning citizens have been calling on the clueless governments of the APC at different fora, but to no avail. “Nothing can be as worse as a government that lacks sincerity, competence and compassion.

“Every day in Nigeria, blood flows, while those in power are busy looting borrowed monies and also perfecting plans to remain in power against the will of the people. “Well, the truth is that God answers prayers in different ways.

That is why immediately the rumours of a failed coup subsided, and the news of Trump’s rescue mission circulated to comfort the people. “It is a known fact that Donald Trump’s return to power was orchestrated to fulfill divine rescue missions across Africa in particular.

“Therefore, the American President’s declaration should be seen as a divine intervention and should be supported by reasonable citizens. “Those raising false alarms and trying to call for resistance are either the terrorists themselves, or their sponsors, or beneficiaries or both.

“We have over stayed in darkness in Nigeria, especially since APC political power mongers grabbed power. “Nigerians almost seem to be so accustomed to darkness that they are now becoming resistant to light.

“The propaganda that America is coming for our oil and other natural resources cannot suffice, because our present crop of political leaders are more satanic than any foreign invader.

“Nigerian politicians are best described as the vultures that feed on the dead. That is why people’s deaths mean nothing to them. “The only danger of American military interference is that it may remain beyond necessary. Nevertheless, we need sustained peace and freedom from the Fulani sucking killers and their allies across West Africa.”

Bishop Herbert Ekechukwu, a Christian cleric and economist, said: “We are tired of saying all these things. “The government knows what to do, but it is quite unfortunate that they are playing politics with human lives.

“It is the irresponsibility of those in government and their criminal nature that have brought us where we are today. “The government of the day does not have the political will to fight insecurity.

They are the ones that brought the bandits and the herdsmen into the country in the first place. “The government of the day is part and parcel of bandits. Can a kingdom fight against itself? “To effectively fight insecurity, we need repentance from our leaders.

The repentant Boko Haram in our security agencies need to be flushed out. “Nigerian security agencies need to collaborate with US’s security agencies and strengthen the security agencies by improving their training, equipment and welfare.”

APPEAL FOR PATRIOTISM