A new approach to ‘Bring Back Our Girls’ campaign proffered by Bishop

The Sun reports that the newly consecrated Bishop, Faithlife Charismatic Bible Church
(FCBC), New Oko-Oba, Abule-Egba
on the outskirts of Lagos,
Nathaniel Adekolu, has decried
the attitude of Nigerians to the
‘Bring Back Our Girls’ campaigns,
adding that it has been put out of
context.

Bishop Adekolu spoke while
interacting with journalists on the
occasion of his consecration as a
Bishop by Word of Faith College of
Bishops. The event took place
recently at the Social Club Road of
the church auditorium.

According to him, 'what we need
to do is to encourage the law
enforcement agencies and the
intelligence department to go out
and bring the girls back.'

'People are complaining they were
not briefed on daily basis. Nigerians cannot be briefed on
daily basis and expect to get
results. The abduction of the girls
is not a matter that should be
discussed in the open. It is an
intelligence job.'

Renouncing the seeming apathy of
Christians to politics, which he
saidwas discouraging, he said:
“One can only lead a horse to the
water but cannot force it to drink
water.” He added that his ministry
would seek closer tie with the
Christian faithful in sensitising
them during 2015 elections.

He noted that many of the
politicians Christians were
competing with, drink, sleep and
wake politics. “They don’t have
any other industry other than
politics. Their children and entire
families are politicians, from
grassroots to the top. So, Christians have to wake up because politics is a battle for the souls of our nation.”

The Cleric claimed that Christians
were the majority, especially in
Lagos State, adding that though
there was no available statistics to
prove that but it was evident
looking around.

He said, 'One thing that is certain
is, Governor Babatunde Fashola is
not a Christian but he has done
well. What we need is a leader
that will do well. There is nothing
absolutely wrong in that leader
being a Christian to give
everybody a sense of belonging.'

'It is not a bad political strategy
for all the political parties to
choose Christians as their
candidates. I’m sure there are
honest Christians who will perform
well politically.'

'We know it is not about religion
but performance. Every one needs
a sense of belonging including the
Christians, so they should arise
and begin to get involved in
politics, beginning from the
grassroots, and the earlier, the
better.'

On the noticeable apathy by
Christians to vote during elections,
Adekolu said, 'It is very
unfortunate. Some Christians
don’t have permanent voters
card. They don’t care because
they believe votes don’t count.
But one has to vote first before
knowing whether it counts or not.'

“If one disenfranchises oneself
because votes don’t count, what
about if it counts? Then one would
have successfully voted in
candidates one never voted for by
one’s refusal to vote. Refusal to
vote is voting as well because
whomsoever mounts the saddle is
the person one who did not vote
wanted.”

Adekolu tasked the leadership of
the Pentecostal Fellowship of
Nigeria (PFN) to equally get
involved by creating awareness on
the need for Christians to be
actively involved by registering to
vote during the 2015 elections, adding that it was time to get it right.

On the challenges of insecurity
and kidnapping in the country, the
FCBC chief servant assured that
there was hope in the country. He
prophesied. “The challenges are
temporal. They had a day they
started; their moment of wound
up is also approaching fast.

“Boko Haram would soon be
history. Ebola is equally going to
be history. God is raising a crop of
leaders that would take Nigeria to
its destination. And the current
day politicians that had refused to
allow God use them, would be
removed.”

He said, “Those that yield to
God’s leadership would be used of
Him to take the nation to its
destiny. Nigeria is not an ordinary
country. As it is often said that
the map of Africa is like gun,
Nigeria is at the trigger point”
He disclosed that Nigeria was
critically important to God,
pointing out that God wants to use
her to reach out to generation yet
unborn. “Therefore, everybody
must play a role to ensure it
happens.” He advised.

He noted that the nation was as
good as the inhabitants adding
that what was fed into the
citizenry makes a nation. His
words. “The Nigeria’s economy
would go through positive
metamorphosis. It will be
historical and monumental. A time
is coming when many Nigerians
who fled the country because of
the economic situation would
begin to make a return journey
and those who have been around
in spite of the challenges would
recant and become instrument to
transform the nation."

Commenting on the abducted
Chibok Girls, he described the
incident as a most painful
phenomenon. He said. “We should
learn from the case of Osama bin
laden in America. He bombed
several people to death. When
America was looking for him. No
one heard about it until he met
his waterloo because it was an
intelligence matter."

“But in the case of Chibok Girls,
we have seen rallies everywhere
as if the government of President
Goodluck Jonathan is interested in
the perpetuation of the kidnap of
the girls. The government would
be the happiest if the girls are
rescued alive," Bishop Adekolu
said.

The cleric believed that
government was doing all it can to
rescue the girls noting that Boko
Haram sect would not release
them easily. He tasked Nigerians
to pray and trust God for miracles.

“Possibly more snakes should be
released into Sambisa to bite and
kill members of the sect,” He
enthused.

According to Adekolu whose early
stage in ministry began in1984, in
the North, “even Israel with all the
sophistry in their weaponry and
intelligence have had their citizens
kidnapped and they are looking for
the best possible way to rescue
their dead bodies."

“We don’t want Chibok girls’
bodies to be released to us. We
want to see them back and alive.
Campaigning and shouting the
harsh tag ‘Bring Back Our Girls’ as
if the law enforcement agencies
are not doing anything is not what
we need to bring them back.”

He advised those who want to
know what government was doing
to bring the girls back to visit the
State Security Service (SSS) office
and the Military Intelligence and
such findings should be kept
secret. “The campaign was already
turning an industry,” He added.