A daily trans-denominational prayer initiative of Christians from the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria and Christians in the diaspora, National Prayer Altar, has condemned politicians and their agents heard on the media making statements that could be described as reprehensible hate speech.
The Christians organisation made this known yesterday in a press statement issued in Abuja on the state of the nation, endorsed by Bosun Emmanuel (South West), Kontein Trinya (South South), Sylvester Mbamali (South East), Linda Ndache (North East), Alabi Mojirade (North Central) and Hauwa Kure (North West).
According to the statement, their comments not only strongly indict them of complicity in the genocides that have ravaged their communities, but also have the potential to further stir the religious and political intolerance that has made Nigeria one of the most terrorized nations in the world.
They said that unless the appropriate national security agents are ethnically and religiously biased, they should interrogate those persons the same way they have been known to readily summon lesser others accused of volatile incitements.
“The blatant infringement on public peace by such otherwise respectable high-profile persons is where the strident voices of Christian leaders should have been heard, demanding their prosecution or the explanation of their incendiary claims that have been trending on social media.
“In Southern Kaduna and all over the country, according to commonly available statistics, several thousand have been killed and countless Christian communities sacked by the Fulani militia often dubiously masked as ‘herdsmen.’ Unfortunately, the condemnation of those atrocities by certain clergies and politicians has been less than deserved,” they stated.
The National Prayer Alter while speaking on the 2023 elections, said that it has been ranked as the worst election in the history of Nigeria, that not only did the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) contradict its regulations, it actively sought to frustrate the electoral process, particularly in the deployment of appropriate facilities and logistics in that election.
“It is imperative that INEC be interrogated about its handling of the 2023 elections, and the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Yakubu Mahmood, be properly investigated unless this public officer is beyond the laws of the land. The appropriate human and civil rights organizations in the country should commence a process towards that interrogation, as a precedence in future electoral engagements,” they said.
The Christians organisation further said that the recent announcement on the removal of petroleum subsidy without appropriate remediation for the plight of the masses reminds one of the story of King Rehoboam in the Bible.
“Soon as Rehoboam was up on the throne, he demonstrated a gross lack of empathy with the hardships of the people. The nation was soon destroyed under him. A Yoruba proverb warns that the eye that would see the evening does not stir dust in the morning.
“By its austere ‘welcome greeting,’ the APC appears to have affirmed that it is set to afflict Nigerians with more suffering than they had endured under Buhari. Unfortunately, it is the same political group that, in 2012, vehemently opposed and castigated the former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, for attempting to initiate the same process that they now hail. The hypocrisy is choking,” the organisation stated.
The National Prayer Alter further appealed to all Nigerians of good conscience to lend their voices to the need to raise credible leadership for the country, saying that competent leadership is indispensable to peace and progress in Nigeria.
“As a people, we have suffered unwarranted hardship amidst abundant resources, because of our leadership deficits. Anything short of credible leadership in this season would mean the country to continue in penury and sorrow.
“Those who rig elections can neither claim to have been ordained by God nor mean well for the people. Nothing good comes out of fraud. At the National Prayer Altar, we shall continue to pray every day for righteousness to prevail in the country, trusting God to heal our land. Amen,” they stated.
