Secession not solution to Nigeria’s problems, says CAN president, Ayokunle

President, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. Samson Ayokunle, has said that agitations for secession would not bring solution to the ongoing insecurity and other challenges.

Ayokunle, who spoke at the second quarter, 2021, meeting of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC), lamented that things are not working well in the country today but insecurity remains the greatest challenge.

According to him, “breaking the nation into fragments will not be the answer, but rather to be pro-active and treat the country as one nation. To do otherwise is to gamble dangerously.

“Many things are not right with the nation today. The greatest challenge is insecurity. To travel a distance calls for serious prayers and with perhaps heavy security personnel because of kidnapping for ransom, ritual killings, armed robbery, insurgent attacks, banditry and other forms of violent attacks.”

Ayokunle decried the inability of the Federal Government to hearken to the calls for the use of intelligence gathering to track the location of criminals and expressed reservations over government’s sincerity to bring an end to insecurity.

The CAN President, therefore, urged the government to set up a body of security experts that would investigate the sources of ammunition that are in the hands of criminals all over the nation in order to block such avenues.

He said: “This is the time for us to unite and speak in unison against all these evils before being wiped away by the criminals. The daily bloodshed is worrisome and must stop. It makes this a cause of concern about the sincerity of the government in nipping these evils in the bud. We want to see the criminals prosecuted. Otherwise, the government will be seen as aiding and abetting criminality.”

Besides, the cleric urged those in authority to address the problem of mass unemployment, as it is a breeding ground for criminality, and equally gives the bandits and terrorists opportunity to recruit the youths into criminality with ease.

ALSO speaking, Sultan of Sokoto and President of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, urged dialogue to resolve myriad of problems facing the country.

He said: “Let’s continue to work together and dialogue. I’m a total believer in dialogue and nothing will change my mind because my religion teaches me to always dialogue. If we can solve our problems without going to war, then why do we need to take up arms to solve the problem.”

MEANWHILE, Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, who was represented by Permanent Secretary, General Services, Maurice Mbaeri, urged religious leaders to publicly renounce the ideology of those claiming to be killing for the sake of religion by giving a counter narrative.

He expressed government’s determination to collaborate with religious and political leaders to promote peace and unity in the country.