THE STORM OF HARDSHIP WILL SOON BE OVER- CAN
President Assures Nigerians
...The Federal Govt recorded successes and failure
in 2016
...The economic policies have no human face
...Blamed the Jonathan administration for the
failure to free the Chibok girls
...Wants the anti-graft panels to follow due process
The President, Christian Association of Nigeria
(CAN), Rev Dr Samson Olasupo Adeniyi Ayokunle has assured Nigerians that the
untold hardship they are going through as a result of the economic recession
will be over very soon as God is intervening in the unpleasant situation.
The cleric gave this assurance in Abuja at the weekend
while preaching at the on-going International General Workers Conference and
Ordination Interview of the Nigerian Baptist Convention, on a topic, IT IS NOT
BEYOND HIS CONTROL taking from Mark 11:35-41.
He used the
storm that confronted Jesus Christ and his disciples in the passage to
illustrate the economic recession and the attendant problems and said as Jesus
calmed the storm for the disciples, “He is also speaking to the storm facing
Nigeria and the storm of hardship will soon be over.”
According to
him, “The past year 2016 was exceptionally tough for many people and
organizations because of the recession in our country, nonetheless, we are
aware that Jesus is in the boat with us because God’s children are in this
nation, by His grace, the storm of hardship would soon be over in this nation
and we would experience great peace and abundance in this new year in the name
of Jesus Christ our Lord. Our situation is not beyond the control of our Heavenly
Father”.
NIGERIANS EXPECTATIONS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR
AND THE UNPLEASANT TURN OF EVENTS
Ayokunle
recalled, “The year 2016 was a year of change indeed for many Nigerians. The
expectations were very high when we entered the year because a new government just
settled down to business and better days were expected, especially when the
slogan under which the administration came into power was ‘change.’”
The
CAN President who is also the President of the Nigerian Baptist Convention
explained that the CHANGE brought by the Buhari administration has two sides,
positive and negative.
His words, “The change really came in many
ways. Some were positive while some were negative. Such positive ones are:
“PROGRESSIVE/SUCCESSFUL WAR BEING WAGED
AGAINST BOKO HARAM. The Federal Government and our armed forces must be
commended strongly for this and be encouraged to sustain the war against insurgency
because in a country where there is no safety, there would be no development.
Insurgents are enemies of the nation doing nobody any good except for their
craziness. We would see their end in no distant time in the name of Jesus
Christ.
“RECOVERY OF SOME OF THE ABDUCTED CHIBOK
SECONDARY SCHOOL GIRLS. This was another feat for which the Federal
Government deserves a pat on the back. If the previous administration had been reasonable
and apt, we would have for long recovered these girls. The kidnap of the Chibok
girls would continue to be remembered as the fatal failure of the immediate
past administration. We pray that such would never happen again in this country
in the name of Jesus Christ.
“WAR AGAINST CORRUPTION. The war this
administration has been waging against corruption is heart gladdening and a
beckon of hope for our nation because the corruption is a cancer that has the potential
to destroy our nation and humanity unless we are all do something deliberately
to stamp it out.
“However,
care should be taken that fight against corruption is not used for witch-hunt
of opposition but rather all embracing. Corruption and corrupt people are not
limited to any political party but all. They must be fished out and be properly
prosecuted according to the law of the land. The excesses or over-zealousness
of the law enforcement agents leading to forceful breaking into the houses of
suspects must be discontinued. We are in a democracy where due process must be
followed, we are not in a military government or dictatorship.
“REHABILITATION OF ROADS: Some of the
abandoned roads like Lagos-Ibadan Express Way have started experiencing
rehabilitation. We urge the government not to relent but continue to push
forward more and more until we get to the glorious dawn. The Federal Government
must take responsibility in order for the nation to develop and also allow
voters enjoy the dividends of democracy”.
THE NEGATIVE THAT WE DID NOT EXPECT
He
then went to identify the negative side of the change that is making life
difficult for all and sundry in the country and tasked the government to
address it with a view to making life easy for the common man.
“As
the disciples of Jesus did not expect storm in their journey, we also faced
certain unbelievable hardships last year more than ever before. Some of these
hardships were the following:
“THE KILLINGS OF THE INNOCENT BY THE FULANI HERDSMEN: The biting
killings and destruction of farms by the Fulani Herdsmen without much being
done by the government to prosecute the perpetrators of such acts. The most
recent of them was the Southern Kaduna massacre of which the majority of the
dead were Christians. The response from the law enforcement agents was so lethargic
that the Christian Association of Nigeria had to call for national day of
mourning and prayer to seek God’s face so that the destruction might stop and
to protest and let the government know that they had failed to protect their citizens.
“No
one that died untimely in that unchecked mayhem deserved to die. The killings
of the Agatus and other citizens in Benue State under the watch of both State
and Federal Governments were unfortunate and should be stopped immediately.
“THE RISING WAVE OF KIDNAPPING: This
used to be rampant in the East but has almost become a lucrative business now
in the West and North. It was very bad experience that Nigerians do not deserve
to be passing through. A special squad if possible should be trained with
necessary surveillance equipment to fish out these criminals who are in the
business of kidnapping for ransom. If the government claims that they are doing
something, they must do more.
“THE INCREASING YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT: The
increasing youth unemployment is another ugly situation that is being
experienced in our nation. The earlier the government did something to it, the
better it is going to be for us. University graduates are roaming the streets
without anything to do. Those who are working have too many mouths of the
unemployed adults to feed. This has increased the level of poverty in our
nation and job creation remains a big challenge the government must pay serious
attention to. The increasing wave of kidnapping may not be unconnected with the
lack of tangible employment for many of our able bodied youths.
“UNPAID SALARIES/WAGES: The inability of
the government to pay salaries not only in the States but at Federal level as
well is a bid dent on the government. My Bible says that the worker deserves
prompt payment of his or her wages. Of course the Bible says that the wages
must not be delayed till the next day. This delay in the payment of salaries has
in turn affected the operations of many private organizations including the
church. Our economy is public sector driven, so to a large extent, whatever is
the economic policy of government has excruciating challenge over all other
sectors.
“DEVALUATION OF CURRENCY: The
devaluation of naira which has led to galloping inflation to the extent that
the cost of living has risen and makes life unbearable for people. Fowls used
to be a common gift to friends during Christmas celebration, this year, it
hardly featured as Christmas gift item. Humanly speaking, things are tough for
many. Businesses that are foreign currency dependent are closing down and
people are loosing their jobs. This economic policy appears to lack human face.
What is the essence of banning foreign goods when the government has not been
able to make such goods locally available in abundance? Such ban would just
encourage smuggling and a lot of revenue would be lost by the government”.
Ayokunle
however gave hope to the nation when he said, “Our Situation is Under God’s Control. We need to be assured however
that no matter how tough things might have been in the past year or presently, 2017
is seen with the eyes of faith and we can assure that these storms will soon be
over and a glorious dawn would be experienced by us all in the name of Jesus
Christ”
He
advised those who want to experience the glorious done, to take some steps:
“Recognition of Divine Presence: We must
recognise that Jesus is in the ship with us. Since he cannot be overcome by
anything, since he cannot sink, since his boat can never capsize, we shall not be
overcome also, we shall not sink, our boat in 2017 will never capsize. This
calls for a close walk with him by all of us and a clear direction received
from him by our leaders. They must allow him to rule this nation through them.
They must be agents of God in the lives of the people.
“We
must have the awareness that the Lord who is the Lord of this New Year, who
made everyday of it was the one that spared our lives to make the journey into
the new year despite the storm of last year and he must always have His way. His
thoughts towards us are of good and not of evil and he would give us an
expected end. May this year end with full testimony for all in Nigeria in the
name of Jesus.
“Don’t be weary in calling upon the Lord: Call
upon him more than ever before in prayers and more commitment. His ears are
ever open to hear us and act in our favour. (Luke 18:1). He rebuked the wind
and there was a calm. The Lord would rebuke all the things causing pains and
hardship for us in the nation in the name of Jesus. Nigeria would experience
abundance in this New Year in the name of Jesus.
“May the Lord not only speak but speak with
finality so that inflation and hardship might become a thing of the past in
Nigeria in the name of Jesus Christ.
“Be
expectant: We would not doubt God about the expected positive turn around. Warning;
don’t doubt God. Your doubt may be the only hindrance that would prevent you
from experiencing God’s abundance in the New Year. Doubt exempted the officer of
the king who did not believe Elisha not to benefit of the abundance that
followed thereafter in Samaria. (2Kings 7: 1-2)
Signed
Pastor Bayo Oladeji
Media Assistant to Rev Dr Samson
Olasupo Ayokunle
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