Cleric Blames Politicians’ Flamboyant Lifestyle For Crime Wave

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 Adefulire, Akinde Calls For Peace, Security, Justice

THE Bishop of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Kaduna Diocese, Dr. Josiah Idowu-Fearon, has blamed the present wave of crime in the country on the flamboyant lifestyle exhibited by political leaders.

He urged President Goodluck Jonathan to ensure that the country's resources were channelled into development projects that would improve the standard of livings of Nigerians.

Idowu-Fearon, who spoke at the second session of the 19th Synod of the Diocese held Friday, said "the blatant display of wealth amidst hunger, profligacy, recklessness in the spending of money meant for development by the leaders, in the face of poverty, must stop."

At the first session of the 3rd Synod of the Diocese of Lagos Mainland held at the All Saints Church, Yaba, Lagos, the state Deputy Governor, Mrs. Victoria Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, called for unshakable faithfulness in God from Nigerians, especially in these trying moments of security challenges across the country.

Her words: "Security situation in the country, economic hardship and various challenges around us makes the world seem unfair. But when we have faith in God, it is then that we can have hope that these problems will be solved.

"Whatever we are passing through now, when we count our blessings one by one and pray to God about it and also feel God's presence in our lives, states and country, I believe that God will put a stop to this turbulence we are experiencing in our country."

Idowu-Fearon stated that "the lack of a strong will to be disciplined on the part of our political leaders has continued to encourage young, educated and jobless populace to take to criminal acts like armed robbery and deadly political acts that take on a religious façade, as we are experiencing today, particularly in the northern parts of Nigeria."

He added: "Synod is calling on all in government to search their conscience and begin to work for the well-being of those who went out to vote them into power.

"Unless there is a definite attitudinal change on the side of our politicians, they may not be able to control the implosion that is already rumbling, and which may erupt at any time."

Speaking under the Synod theme, 'The Christian Attitude To Money,' the Bishop stressed the challenge to the Christian church in times of insecurity, arguing: "Unfortunately, the prophetic voice of the church in our country has now been virtually silenced, while those who have dared to stand out in defence of what should be the role of the church are vilified, called names and even told to shut up."

He lampooned clergymen who have sold out to politics, regretting that the church in Nigeria today has deviated from preaching the undiluted messages of God and "adopted the method, language and style of our politicians, the consequences are already been felt."

Speaking at the synod with the theme, 'The Faithfulness of God in an Unfair World,' Orelope-Adefulire urged Nigerians to be security-conscious and know the people living around them and those into whose hands they entrust their lives and that of their families.

"If there is any uncompleted building around where we live, we should endeavour to know the calibre of people that inhabit there.

"We must know the characters and movements of our domestic staffs. We shouldn't be discussing our movements where they are because they are the insiders whom, if they know every of our schedules, can disclose to outsiders and collude with them to perpetrate evil against us.

"Also, we shouldn't be allowing our drivers to take our children to school alone to avoid the incidence of rape of our young girls."

The Diocesan bishop, Lagos Mainland, Archbishop of Lagos province and the President of the synod, Most Rev. (Prof.) Adebayo D. Akinde called on the government to tackled squarely the issue of insecurity and the killings in the North, seek for help in fashioning policies that will boost the economy and create jobs that will take the youths out of the streets.

"We regret to say that the land still falls short of what is required for the full manifestation of the glory the Lord.

"In a land full of milk and honey, there is hunger; in a land that is generously watered, there is thirst; in a land overflowing with opportunities, there is unemployment, pain and frustration; in a plural society where God has given us a rainbow coalition of His creations to live and work together for His glory, we mindlessly waste lives in the name of religion, politics and ethnicity," he said.

He condemned the state pardon given to those whom he said "stole from the nation," stating that "it continues to send wrong signals that we are unserious about our war against corruption."

Akinde also called for an end to the mindless killings in the North and urged the government to prosecute those arrested in connection with the killings, saying that no one has the moral right to take another person's life.



The Guardian