Address incessant killings now, Ondo PFN tells FG

Chairman of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) in Ondo State, Bishop Joshua Kolawole Opayinka, has called on the Federal Government to take urgent steps to address killings in the country.

Opayinka, who stated this in Akure, the state capital, at the inauguration of the new executives of the PFN, specifically called on President Muhammadu Buhari, to put his aspiration for 2019 aside, and address the insecurity in the country, ahead of the general election.

Speaking on the recent protest by Christians across the country, he expressed optimism that the action would help to bring an end to the incessant killings of Nigerians, noting that government had been taking drastic measures to check the situation.

He said: “PFN is part of the struggle to see to an end to the killings across the country. Not only the killings of Christians, but also Muslims. That was one of the reasons we came up with that protest to call the attention of our national leaders to the situation, and also to urge our leaders to wake up to their responsibilities of safeguarding the citizenry.

“We strongly believe that the protest can stop the killings, because it has got the attention of the leaders. The protests were carried out by Nigerians, who are affected by these killings, and we are sure the president, as the chief security officer of the country, will do everything possible in his capacity to stop these killings. For now, he should forget about politics or the 2019 agenda and take care of the masses that voted for him.”

Opayinka also noted that aside the protest and prayers by members of Christian organisations, stakeholders met with governments at various levels on the issue of security.

“Our leaders should stop playing politics with our lives. Election can only take place in a peaceful environment, not where killing is the order of the day. The will of the Lord will prevail in 2019. We are praying for a leader after God’s own heart. We are not biased against any candidate, and if God wants any candidate, the candidate will surely emerge,” he said.

He advised the new leadership of PFN to be courageous in carrying out the tasks before them, as well as promote unity and peace.