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General News of Thursday, 27 May 2021

Source: punchng.com

There must be justice to have one Nigeria - CAN president

Rev. Samson Ayokunle Rev. Samson Ayokunle

The President of, Christian Association of Nigeria, Rev. Samson Ayokunle, has said there must be justice, fair play and mutual respect among the various ethnic groups in the country if Nigeria will be one.

The cleric blamed the problems confronting the country on injustice, saying without justice there would be no peace and unity.

Ayokunle stated this while speaking in Ibadan on Wednesday at a lecture organised to mark the 58th birthday of the Presiding Bishop of Victory International Church Worldwide, Taiwo Adelakun.

Ayokunle said, “If there is going to be one Nigeria with prosperity and peace, there must be justice. I have said it everywhere, including to the President at Aso Rock, that if we are going to do pilgrimage together in a plural society like Nigeria, there must be justice, there must be mutual respect for one another irrespective of religion or ethnic background, and there must be fair play.

“If you are always giving an explanation for leaving me out, the song that you will hear from me next will be ‘To your tenth oh Israel!’ I cannot continue to have hope where hope will never materialise. It is hope in Christ that will never disappoint.”

He said there was growing agitation for self-determination among some ethnic groups because there were issues which the leaders were not addressing.

“Why are people listening to those agitating for secession? It is because the present system of governance has given room for that. The way to eliminate it is to address those issues that are giving rise to such.

“Why is Sunday Igboho popular among the people? Is he prepared to lead a sophisticated region like the South-West? He is popular because of how bad things are and no one is addressing it. When you are frustrated, you can be as aggressive as you never thought you could be,” he added.

Bishop Adelakun said the issues raised by Christians when Vice President Yemi Osinbajo visited Ibadan in 2018 (epileptic power supply, insecurity, corruption) had not only remained but were getting worse.

He said Nigeria would be doomed without restructuring, adding that things could not continue to be the way they were. A former Vice-Chancellor of the Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo, Prof. Dapo Asaju, who delivered the lecture, said Nigeria needed to be redefined. FG plans N1tn smart schools, N1.2tn model schools.