Rt. Rev. Timothy Yahaya
By Ibrahim HassanWuyo
The Diocese of Kaduna Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, has expressed worry over the pain, suffering and hardship inflicted on citizens as a result of insecurity in Nigeria.
While at the Bishop’s charge, presidential address delivered to the 3rd session of the 21st synod in Kaduna on Friday, Rt. Rev. Timothy Yahaya said that more painful was that some privileged Nigerians had allegedly, turned the regrettable situation into a business.
He explained that they were allegedly defrauding international organizations in the name of NGOs, and diverting funds and materials meant for IDPs.
“While commending the Federal Government for the effort made so far in the fight against insecurity, we urge that the fight should also be directed against the sponsors of this heinous crime against humanity no matter who they are,” he said.
The Church said the plan by the Federal Government to acquire 7 kilometres of land bothering waterways across the country, was fuelling a lot of suspicion and apprehension in the society.
“While thanking the 8th National Assembly for rejecting the Executive Bill, the Standing Committee calls on the 9th National Assembly to be on the watch out for any move to reintroduce it for passage into law,” he said.
The church expressed worry that despite all efforts and funds invested since the inception of this democratic experience in 1999, the power sector had defied solutions by successive administrations while consumers pay dearly for darkness.
“It prays and calls on all concerned to redouble efforts in this direction so that sooner than later,constant power supply will be available and affordable,” he said,
The Church called for the overhaul of the security apparatus as part of measures to safeguard lives of the people, and lamented that a situation where citizens die carelessly on daily basis due to insecurity called for additional and renewed efforts by the government to ensure normal life in the country.
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“Insecurity in Nigeria has reached an alarming dimension that not only need an emergency stakeholders approach but need a total overhaul of our security architecture. Life in Nigeria has become nasty, brutish and short.’
“Today it is either Boko Haram, gunmen, banditry, kidnapping, yahoo boys, or herdsmen. Life has become very cheap in our country. Only a single American George Floyd died and the whole world was and is still shaking.”
“In our case citizens die needlessly on a daily basis and life moves on as if it is normal. Synod calls on government whose primary responsibility it is to safeguard life and property to do more.
“Synod salutes our gallant armed forces for standing and fighting for Nigeria, Synod pays her respect to those who had paid the supreme price and call on government to take care of their families,” he said.
On insecurity in Kaduna State, Yahaya said; “Synod observes that the rate of insecurity in Kaduna State is alarming, kidnapping is on the rise, banditry and all kinds of criminality seems to be ravaging our beloved state.
“Synod observed that the Kaduna state government should go back to the drawing board with the state Police Command, the Military, Civil Defence, the NDLEA etc on how to win the war against these criminals elements that have made life and living unbearable for inhabitants of Kaduna State.
“At this juncture, Synod call on all and sundry to pray and give useful information on how this monster can be overcome.”
“It is a fact that if there is no peace, there can be no meaningful development in Kaduna state. I, therefore, call on all to look at the problem of insecurity objectively and stop politicizing the issue.
“Synod indeed is concerned about the problem of insecurity because the Diocese had been badly affected by it, it is the prayer of Synod that before long insecurity will be a thing of the past not only in Kaduna state but in Nigeria at large”.
“Has life in Nigeria lost its value, is it no longer sacred? With the reckless and continuous killings in Zamfara, Katsina North East Region and Kaduna to say but a few, have this Government forgotten its primary duty to protect the lives of its citizens?
“Can a Government that has failed in keeping its primary duty to protect the lives of its citizen demand any form of loyalty from her citizen?
“Has the Nigerian state not reverted back to a time when the life of man was solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short? Has the Nigerian Government done enough to safeguard the lives of her citizens? Should a Government that has failed in its primary duty to its Citizen remain in power?
“What can the Nigerian State do to rectify the aberration and remind the government of her primary duty?”
Commenting on hikes in fuel pump price and electricity tariff, “Synod feels that the Nigerian people are living in very difficult times. The effects of COVID-19 on the Economy is biting hard, inflation and the relationship of the Naira to the dollar has made things more difficult for the common man, the rate of poverty in Nigeria can only he imagine.
“Unemployment is at its record high. Looking critically at the increase in VAT and now on electricity and fuel, things are going from bad to worse for the masses.
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“Synod is calling on the government to please reconsider its decision on the increase of VAT, electricity and petrol price in Nigeria”.
On huge borrowing by the government, he said it could affect the wellbeing of future generations.
“Synod notes with serious concern the rising debt profile of our country from 2015 till date our appetite for loan generally is very high. We seem to have doubled our debts.
“The implication of this is we are spending for the generation yet unborn, Synod humbly advice that we put on our thinking caps and think of ways to sustain and grow our economy”.
“In order for a government in Nigerian state to be adjudged successful, they need not place a man on the moon or secure a seat in G8 at the United Nations (UN) or build an intercontinental bridge, they only need to ensure that every Nigerian is secured and the sanctity of life is respected and upheld within the shores of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”.
“The duty of the police as provided by the Police Act, 1979 is for the prevention and detection of crime, the apprehension of offenders, the preservation of law and order, the protection of life and property and the due enforcement of all laws and regulations with which they are directly charged, and shall perform such military duties within or outside Nigeria as may be required of them by, or under the authority of this or any other act.”
“With how explicit the duty of the Nigerian police force is, they have not been able to live up to the expectation placed upon them by the aforementioned act.
“The police have failed to deal with domestic issues time and time again and the country has had to call in and lean on the Military to deal with domestic issues.
“Due to this, the entire nation has called for the creation of state police to improve the effectiveness of the police force and provide better security and protection of Nigerian citizens”.
He appealed to the Federal government to remove the church from CAMA act, “Synod observed that the companies and allied matters Act 2020 assented to by our President Muhammadu Buhari need a critical re-examination. Section 839 (1) and (2) which empowers the commission to suspend trustees of an association (in this case, the Church) and appoint the interim managers to manage the affairs of the association for some given reasons is ill-advised.”
“Synod is not against the government fighting corruption in all its ramification, in spite of our stand against corruption, Synod completely rejects the idea of bringing the Church into the same group with the NGO’s,
“The Church is a spiritual organization with spiritual responsibilities and obligations. We call on government to exempt the religious institution from this law.
“Synod is calling on Mr President and the National Assembly to amend the law and exempt religious organizations,’ he said.
The Church commended Governor El-Rufa’i of Kaduna state in his attempt to turn Kaduna city into another Dubai, but appealed to the Governor to also consider communities in obscure locations that also needed infrastructures.
