The Bishop, Methodist Church Nigeria, Diocese of Nyanya, Abuja, Rev Kehinde Adeyemi, has charged Christians to participate actively in politics with a view electing leaders that can stop the killings in the country and reverse the nation’s downward economic trend among others.
Adeyemi made the call at the opening of the 12th synod of the Methodist Diocese of Nyanya themed, ‘Prepare for the second coming of Jesus Christ’ in Abuja on Saturday.
In his address to the synod, Adeyemi highlighted the feats recorded by the church since its last synod and lamented the state of the nation, as he noted that Nigeria, now the poverty capital of the world, is also bleeding and shedding the blood of innocent citizens daily.
He regretted that Nigeria could not boast of security for its citizens while also lamenting high unemployment rate, inflation and the greed of politicians.
Adeyemi said, “We have been so docile for a long time, but now we have learnt from our mistakes.
“Believers should take up the challenge of performing their civic responsibility by helping to install a crop of leaders that would stop the incessant killings in our land, reverse the downward economic trend, and reunite the various ethnic groups in the country.”
Meanwhile, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, while declaring the synod open, admonished clerics to be cautious of their words.
The presidential spokesman stated, “It is bad enough for one person to be killed, but numbers are often exaggerated. And I hear this even from the pulpit. Our clerics are well respected and need to be cautious with their words.
“Curses against the President and your own country are like seeds planted in the hearts that can manifest negatively in time to come. We need to counsel our clerics. Let our words be seasoned with grace.”
The Diocesan Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Ilesa, Rev Oladapo Asaju, also made the call in his sermon at the synod of the diocese on Friday, stated that church security arrangements must be done within the ambit of the law, adding that Nigerians are entitled to defend themselves and their families in the face of rampaging killers.
To accomplish the task, Asaju, who is the immediate past Vice Chancellor of Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo, said churches should consult members with relevant knowledge in intelligence gathering and defence strategy to educate them.
He stated, “Where it is difficult for government security agencies to defend vulnerable citizens of Nigeria, including Christians in the face of rampaging killers, then church (es) must organise security for their congregations and communities in all ways legal.
“They are entitled to defend themselves and their lives as well as that of their family and church members.”
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