At Dedication, Okoh Tasks Members On Unity

THE recent dedication of the Cathedral Church of St. Philips in Ayetoro, Osun State, signalled the end of first Session of the 9th Synod of the Diocese of Ife with the theme: “Go Forward”.

In attendance were the Primate, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Most Revd. Nicholas Okoh, immediate past primate of the church, Most Revd. Peter Jasper Akinola and members of the House of Bishops from various dioceses among others.

In his address, Okoh urged members to co-operate with the Church and any minister posted to the area, saying that ministers are God’s servants posted to carry out His work anywhere. He added that human beings do not have any power whatsoever to question God’s choice over His House. The Head of the Anglican Church also used the occasion to call on Nigerians to support the present government in its drive to fight corruption and indiscipline in the nation.

Former primate Akinola urged the congregation to make the new Cathedral a house of God and not a house of fighting, quarreling, trading and politics among others.

The Archbishop of the Ecclesiastical Province of Lagos and Bishop of the Diocese of Lagos Mainland, Most Revd. Adebayo Akinde called on Nigerians to be patient with the present administration, saying that it would take time to correct many things that had gone wrong for many years. He advised the Federal Government to come up with a realistic salary structure for the lawmakers in conformity with the nation’s economic strength and the general earnings in the country.

The Archbishop of the Ecclesiastical Province of Ibadan, Most Revd. Segun Okubadejo faulted the attitude of the nation’s lawmakers, who have made their service a profession and solicited for part-time legislation.
“It is wrong to take politics as a profession and our lawmakers should operate on part-time basis, receiving only allowances. They should emulate those countries we are taking after and do it right,” he said.

In his sermon to round off the Synod “Go Forward”, the Bishop of Remo, Anglican Communion, Rt. Rev. Michael Olusina Fape encouraged Nigerians not to despair, noting that all will be well.

The President of the Synod and Bishop of Ife Diocese, Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, Rt. Rev. Oluranti Odubogun called on government to see agriculture as a way of tackling the problem of unemployment in the nation. He advised the present administration to shift from the syndrome of seeing “oil” as the only product that can sustain the nation and invest heavily on agriculture.

“The task before President Buhari includes fighting corruption, insecurity, epileptic power supply and unemployment among others,” he said.
He also called for reduction in the cost of running government, as he condemned the salaries and allowances of members of the executive and legislative, saying it is the highest in the world.

Odubogun also called on Osun State government to consider the plight of its citizens made up of salary earners, traders and artisans among others, who depend on the state government for their livelihood. He advised the state government to use the bailout money for the purpose it was meant by the Federal Government and offset all outstanding salaries owned workers for months.