By Benjamin Awua, Jalingo
The General Overseer of the Crown of Bible Church, House of David, Jalingo, and North-East Zonal Vice Chairman of the Christian Association Nigeria, CAN, Rev Innocent Solomon, has decried the attack on Garkida community, in Gombi Local government Area of Adamawa State, by Boko Haram insurgents, describing it as barbarism, illiteracy and religious intolerance of the highest order.
The CAN zonal vice chairman, in a statement made available to journalists in Jalingo, expressed deep worries and disappointments over the Garkida attack, saying that in this 21st century, there is still had highly misguided and misinformed religious specie, specialising the the religious business of brainwashing other faithfuls into accepting their false beliefs.
He said that this kind of religious specie had pseudo mindset that had refused to see reason for “our common human progress, but instead chose to develop hatred against others, thereby engaging in destruction of lives and property.”
Regretting that the destructions of lives and property meted out on the people of Garkida in particular and the entire North East in general, was a great manifestation of lack of knowledge about God, which had created high level of poverty in the North, the clergyman said, “The World Bank has estimated that 87 per cent of all the poor people in Nigeria are in the North.
“In a report titled, ‘Advanceing Social Protection In Dynamic Nigeria’, the Bretton Wood institution said the South-South zone recorded the most significant drop in poverty between 2011 and 2016.
“Poverty in Northern region of the country has been increasing, especially in the North West. I believe that now, the North East has become an equal match of this frightening poverty indices.
“The Boko Haram campaign of death and destruction on those they call unbelievers and other banditry activities ravaging the North, which result in unabated bloodletting of innocent citizens and the destruction of the economic well being of her people, means that the North must be prepared for the worse economic reality, suffering, sorrow and pains.
“Let it be clear that we will suffer the direct or indirect consequences of this arson on fellow Nigerians and our economic infrastructures, irrespective of who we are and whatever tribe, religion or region we claim.
Surely, the sword shall perish, and wars shall come to an end.”
Rev (Dr) Solomon also admonished Nigerians, and most especially, the government, whose responsibility it is to protect lives and property, to do everything humanly possible to end the Boko Haram and other banditry barbaric acts, else “we should prepared to be consumed by our failure to act timely.”
