2019: Desist from politics of violence, killings, Gombe Anglican Diocese warns politicians

The Diocese of Gombe Anglican Communion has called on politicians across the country to desist from politics of violence, killings and thuggery as political activities heat up towards the 2019 general elections.

Rising from the First Session of its Seventh Synod held at the Cathedral of Saint Peter, Bolari, Gombe, a communiqué issued and signed by the Lord Bishop of the Diocese, Most Reverend Henry C Ndukuba, said in view of the up coming 2019 general elections, politicians should desist from politics of hatred, bitterness, violence, thuggery, killings and brigandage.

It called on eligible citizens to go and get their Permanent Voters Card (PVC) and get rid of bad leaders at all tiers of Government in the country.

The Synod, though commended President Muhammadu Buhari for the establishment of the North-East Commission and the Presidential Initiative for Displaced People of the region and called on the Buhari Government to actively involve religious and community leaders stressing that “those who are affected are mostly Christians and Muslims from the local communities”.

While condemning what it described as “the incessant and unwarranted waste of lives” of innocent Nigerians in Benue, Taraba, Adamawa, Plateau, Zamfara and Kaduna States by rampaging Fulani herdsmen and unidentified gunmen, the Synod called on the Government to manifestly resolve same in the interest of national cohesion.

It said, “the Nigerian Government should uphold the right of States to make laws suitable for the protection of lives and properties.

“The Federal Government should entrench true federalism by reflecting federal character in appointments, employments and revenue allocation and restructure the country to ensure equity, unity and progress to assuage the incessant calls for session and militancy”, it stressed.

The Synod also decried the current minimum wage of N18,000 as unrealistic in the face of present economic realities in the country and therefore called on the Federal Government to review it upward in order to alleviate the sufferings of the Nigerian masses.