Barely two months after the general elections, the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN) on Tuesday described the polls as the worst ever general election in the history of the country.
COCIN equally prayed that those seeking justice will find it at the tribunals.
This was disclosed by the COCIN President, Rev. Dachollom Datiri, at the opening of the Church’s 96th General Church Council, ongoing at its headquarters in Jos, the Plateau State capital.
Datiri said, “The elections have come and gone, proving wrong apprehensions of Nigerians of potentially violent polls.
“The elections were generally peaceful, but with the drafting of the armed forces including the Nigeria army to the polling units, and the number of petitions already at the tribunals reaching 736, (as The Punch, April 5, 2019), these were the worse elections ever in the history of Nigeria.
“Let us pray that justice will be done at the tribunals”, he stressed.
On the attacks ongoing in communities in Zamfara State and Southern Kaduna, the Church said, “government must take responsibility and take action because human life is too precious to be wasted casually.
“We call on the Government of Plateau State to see to the establishment of the mobile barracks in Gashish that seem to have been forgotten.
“Gashish district of Barkin Ladi LGA of Plateau State is one of the worse hit when over 200 persons were attacked and killed thousands displaced last June.
“Internally Displaced Persons are hardly mentioned in our media anymore. Does that mean they no longer exist? I believe the answer is no!
“The truth is that they have been left to fend for themselves. Some have struggled to find themselves places of abode, while others have found their way into houses of relations and are squatting there.
“May I remind government that it is their constitutional responsibility to provide accommodation and relief materials to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs),” he maintained.
Speaking on government’s fight against corruption, Datiri said, “Many Nigerians are left feeling disenfranchised and disappointed that the fight against corruption promised them four years ago have not been fulfilled.
“The whole thing seems like a mirage or at best a lopsided fight targeted at the opposition.
“Government needs to demonstrate more clearly, sincerity of purpose and impartiality here,” he admonished.
On the case of Leah Sharibu and other abducted girls who are still in the custody of Boko Haram insurgents, the COCIN President said, ” Leah Sharibu is now 16 years old and has been in captivity in the hands of Boko Haram because of her faith in Christ for more than a year now.
“In a civilised society, the country would have come to standstill in the first few hours of her abduction, until she was found.”
Earlier in his goodwill message, the General Secretary of Tarrayar Ecclisiyar Kristi A Nigeriya (TEKAN), a conglomerate of 15 churches, Rev. Moses Ebuga, decried the spate of ongoing kidnappings in the country, adding that what used to be heard from afar before is now” at our doorsteps”.
Ebuga said, “Close to us here is the case of CRCN Legal Adviser, Barr. L.O. Yabura, who was kidnapped on his way to Takum to attend a court case.
“So far, in the hands of kidnappers are eight other CRCN members; all yet to released.”
