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By Pastor Ademisoye Alawode
The President of Christ Apostolic Church, Worldwide, Pastor Abraham Olukunle Akinosun has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to give more bite to the battle against corruption and create no room for sacred cow in the crusade.
He also called on the government to look at the composition of the headship of the country’s security agencies with a view to making them reflect the federal character in geographical spread and religious pluralism.
In a welcome address presented during a private visit by the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, to the General Secretariat of the Church, in Ibadan at the weekend, Pastor Akinosun said Nigeria ought to be among the first 20 economic powers in the world, but corruption has made her a dwarf among her peers.
“President Buhari has really surprised even his critics with his single mindedness in the fight against corruption. This is the evil that has stunted our growth as a nation. Nigeria ought to be among the first 20 world economic powers. But the avarice of those who have had opportunity to rule us has ensured that we remain a dwarf among our peers”.
While asking the President to continue with his anti-corruption crusade, he charged him to ensure there is no sacred cow.
On security, Pastor Akinosun urged the Federal Government to consider establishment of state police as a lasting solution to be on top of security challenges facing the nation.
He said feelers from the Federal Government seem to be against this solution. He reminded the Vice President that Nigeria had had local government police during the First Republic. He admitted that some of the regional governments abused their powers as they turned the local government police to political thugs.
He, however, posited that “the aberration of the past should rather serve us as a teacher. We should find out why those abuses of power were possible and remove them by legislation, either by limiting the powers of the state policemen to prevention and arrest of criminals. Any issues that can be reasonably read as having political undertone should be transferred to the Federal Police. With this, we would have established synergy between state and federal police," he said.
In his reply, Prof Yemi Osinbajo said the government of President Buhari has been very, very impartial in its fight against corruption. He said some of those facing corruption trials are members’ of the President’s party. He said there was no basis for the allegation of lop-sidedness.
The Vice President also refuted the suspicion that the government was foisting a religious agenda.
He said the President is a fair-minded person who would not do anything on the basis of religion.
He said the issue of OIC membership had been done before the President came to power, that leaves the President with very little option. But he said the culprit of what people called lop-sided appointment of security chiefs was the retirement and removal of certain officers for some wrongdoing.
According to Osinbajo, government might look into the issue with a view to build confidence in Nigerians of all nationalities.
The visit was coordinated by Nigerian Coalition of Apostolic Leaders and the Greater Nigerian Pastors’ Conference.
During interactive session that followed, the Vice President said Nigerian problem is not religion because in all religions are found people who have embezzled the nation’s patrimony. He said at the same time, people who have been righteous are also found in all religions.
The problem of the country, he said emanated from fight for resource control by a few individuals who always collaborate with their ilks in other nationalities to achieve their nefarious aims.
He said the government of President Buhari has not started fighting people who stole money secretly, but those who just went into Central Bank to withdraw the nation’s money and distribute same among themselves. He urged the Church, to always speak out against corruption.