Ademola Babalola in Ibadan
The National President of the Nigerian Baptist Convention, Reverend Samson Ayokunle has observed that the anti-corruption fight of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration has to be more embracing beyond the last administration of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan.
Reverend Ayokunle who spoke at a press conference in Ibadan, Oyo state capital on the state of the nation weekend, said “corruption at the local and state government levels ought to be probed as well in order for justice to be done.”
Ayokunle, who is the Vice President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) lauded President Buhari’s government for waging relentless war against corruption which he said had retarded growth of the nation as national resources that were expected to be expended on the development of Nigeria had been embezzled, mismanaged and or misappropriated at the local, state and Federal government levels.
He continued, “this act was perpetrated by the political leaders and the civil servants. However, as others have observed before, the fight against corruption has to be more embracing beyond the last administration in the country.”
While urging President Buhari to use the funds recovered from corrupt people to develop the almost non-existent infrastructural amenities in the nation, Ayokunle who is contesting as President of CAN, having been nominated by the same body in this month election, also enjoined the government to, in the same token, treat cattle rustlers otherwise known as herdsmen caught with guns like common criminals.
“Checkmating the violent acts of these herdsmen in time would be helpful to all in this nation before they become a terrorist group that is too formidable to overcome. We need to urge the present administration to learn from the mistake of the last administration in the country that did not take quick and necessary action on Boko Haram terrorist group until they became almost too formidable and better equipped than our military. We cannot afford to lose the souls of many innocent citizens again as we lost to Boko Haram attacks.”
On his ambition to head the largest Christian body in the country, Ayokunle said having been in the saddle as Vice President and his experience as the President of Nigerian Baptist Convention with verifiable achievements in the area of the Church’s global expansion, transformation of church’s investment portfolio, construction of hostel accommodation for both university and secondary school students and recovering of church’s property and establishment of cable Television video, he was of the view that CAN would witness better developments than is presently obtainable.
On the legislation over the mode of preaching in Kaduna, Ayokunle urged the state government and his colleagues having such ambition to do it with utmost caution so as not to fan the embers of religious disunity, adding that where such becomes inevitable, a board for religious activities should be composed of genuine people of God and not politicians who have vested interests.
