Former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, has appealed to the church to support the Federal Government in its quest to find solutions to the challenges of insecurity in Nigeria.
Gowon made the appeal on Friday at the opening of the third session of the synod of the Anglican Diocese of Abuja, held at St. Matthew’s Church, Maitama, Abuja.
He said that all community and political leaders of the Christian faith must cooperate with government to curb the rising wave of criminality in Nigeria.
Gowon, who spoke on the theme: Christian Stewardship”, said that Christians must live by example for others to emulate.
He said that security and aid agencies as well as other stakeholders needed the support of all Nigerians in their quest to end insecurity and other anti-social vices in the country.
He said: “I will enjoin all of you, as you reassess your roles in the society to look beyond self and seek solutions to the challenges of the nation.
“You must cooperate and collaborate with good leadership in the quest for answers to the problems of growing insecurity in our land today.”
The former head of state urged church leaders to pray relentlessly for the success of government in its quest to bring development to all parts of the country.
He said that the church had a greater role to play in the peace-building process, adding that it should not abdicate its role to other elements in the polity.
He said: “These are not mere words that I am recommending to you.
“On the contrary, I am saying that as critical leaders of the Christian faith, you have an important role to play in the crises we have in our land, you must pray ceaselessly.
In his address, the Primate of the Anglican Church, Most Rev. Nicholas Okoh, restated his call on the Federal Government to expand the committee on amnesty for Boko Haram.
Okoh said that membership of the committee should reflect every major culture and religion in Nigeria, adding that Boko Haram was not a northern or Islamic phenomenon but a matter of national security.
The primate said that expanding the spread of the committee would be in the interest of all Nigerians, especially victims of the crisis.
He said: “Widening the spread of the committee will forestall wrong decisions which can lead to endless discussions, smeared with political or sectional bias.
“This problem can be better addressed now than when the work of the committee is already concluded and report released.”
Okoh said that the committee should be given adequate time to do its job, noting that it could derail if it was hurried into submitting its report.
The clergyman urged the Federal Government to pursue the kind of peace that would be acceptable by all Nigerians and not only by members and leaders of the Boko Haram sect.
He urged government to tackle the problem from all angles by tightening its borders to check illegal migration, drug addiction and the proliferation of small arms across the country.
On the health sector, the primate called on President Goodluck Jonathan to discourage Nigerians from embarking on medical tourism abroad by building and equipping hospitals in the country.
He said that a situation where Nigerians travelled to foreign countries, especially to India for medical attention should be stopped, adding that the trend was inimical to economic growth.
The primate, who spoke on a wide range of national issues, called on the leadership of the country to tackle the challenges in the education, power, aviation and agricultural sectors.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the synod continues on Saturday and ends on Sunday with a special thanksgiving service.
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