Jeremiah Gado, the president of Evangelical Church Winning All, ECWA, has blamed the rising calls for secession by some sections of the country on the lack of equity in distribution of national wealth, political appointments as well as lopsided employment by the federal government.
Dr. Gado who noted that the church would not support any move to dismembered the country expressed confidence that Nigerians will be better together
Dr. Gado stated the position of the church in a press statement issued in Jos, Plateau State on Saturday, June 24, 2017.
He urged the federal government to move fast to arrest the prevailing agitations for self-rule and keep the country one.
“The attention of ECWA has been drawn to a recent threat and notice of eviction to all Igbos residing in the north of Nigeria issued by a group of Arewa Youth who we believe are doing the bidding of some northern elders seeking to foment trouble,” the statement which was e-mailed to The Trent said.
“Indeed we are aware of the agitations of some Igbo extraction from the South East under the umbrellas of MASSOB and IPOB seeking to secede from Nigeria into an independent state they call Biafra.
“While a section of the agitators have wrongfully made unguided statements in pursuit of their aspiration, they have so far carried out their activities peacefully without threat of harassment or quit notice to other Nigerians residing in the South East region.
“It is important to state that other regions such as the South West are also clamoring for self-independence and several other calls as the restructuring of Nigeria, to single out the Igbos on account of their ethnicity and religion for threat of attack and eviction from the north is a move taken too far.
“The call for the eviction of the Igbos by a section of misguided Arewa Youth has become even more worrisome due to the backing of some Arewa Elders who obviously are the sponsors of the youths issuing the threats.
“Elders as the name implies, are supposed to be the conscience of society and custodians of communal values to provide guidance to the youth. When such Elders derail and behave in the opposite, the outcome of such society can best be imagined. It is in this premise that ECWA wishes to appeal to the conscience of all men and women from all regions of Nigeria who fear God and hope for His soon coming judgment to be cautious of the kind of legacies they pass on to the younger generations.
“As long as Nigeria remains a state entity, the 1999 Constitution guarantees the fundamental rights of all Nigerians to freely reside in any part of the country of their choice, own property and carry out their legitimate businesses. Even in cases of secession when countries become dismembered, the rights of citizens of the seceded country are still protected under a universal immigration law.
“While ECWA as a Church denomination believes Nigeria is better together and is not in any way in support of dismembering the country, it is pertinent to draw the attention of the Federal Government to critically look at the reasons for the agitations emanating from the various regions of the country. The glaring marginalization, discriminations, lopsidedness, exclusion in the socio-political and economic arrangement of the country as they have been and still are today in their louder forms are reasons for the agitation and mutual suspicion.
“The federal government must fairly analyze the Nigerian situations in terms of wealth distribution, employments in the civil service, security agencies and political appointments across the country.
“Why it is difficult For instance, to arrest the Arewa Youths issuing threats of eviction to the Igbos several days after their arrest order was issued by the Kaduna state government and the Inspector General of Police?
“Yet the recalcitrant Youths are walking the streets free and issuing further threats through media briefings held in a government Arewa House facility under a security cover. Just as it has been difficult to arrest and bring to justice the Fulani herdsmen destroying farms, churches, killing and maiming people across the country.
“On the other hand, security agencies are always active and responsive to arrest peaceful agitators in the Southeast, Southwest and some parts of the north. Who is fooling who?
“ECWA hereby wishes to use this medium to call on the federal government to be alive to its responsibility in protecting all citizens wherever they reside without recourse to their regions of origin, ethnicity, religion or sect by ensuring that justice is served fairly to all.
Dr. Gado said, “The sad experiences of the Nigerian civil war in the 60s and the colossal human losses are still fresh in our memory to contemplate or ever imagine another war. We believe that with peace, security, justice, equity and judicious application of our God given wealth, Nigeria will be a greater country.
“ECWA commends the Acting President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo for the steps he is already taking to engage the leadership of the various regions in the country and the warning to shun divisive and hate speeches.
Beyond this effort, the Church calls on the federal government to evaluate the resolutions of the National Conference held under former President Goodluck Jonathan with a view to sending it to the National Assembly for continuous dialogue in order to consider the critical areas of national unity.
The church called on all and sundry to be steadfast in praying for Nigeria and her leaders and have faith in the God who rules in the affairs of Nigeria and is able to bring it to His perfect will.
