16th October, 2020
The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) recently had a joint meeting of its National Advisory Council and the National Executive Council at the Bishop’s Court, PFN National Headquarters in Lagos.
Various issues of concern to the Church and the Nigerian nation were fully discussed at this meeting, which had in attendance Pentecostal leaders from different parts of the country.
The PFN, in particular, took notice of the increasingly strident calls from Fathers, leaders of thought and well-meaning Nigerians for the restructuring of the political and administrative apparatus that presently govern Nigeria.
The calls validate the long-standing position of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria and her consistent appeal, over the years, to the government to pay attention to the call and activate the necessary mechanism for it.
“The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) restates her call for restructuring, which has now become even more urgent, given the increasing push on the part of different groups towards tendencies that further division rather than unity. We note, with concern, the restiveness in different parts of the country and we are of the opinion that concerted efforts have to be urgently made by the government to reassure Nigerians that their interests will continue to be guaranteed within the Nigerian entity.
“We restate our belief in the unity of Nigeria and a commitment to one Nigeria where people of different faiths and tongues can continue to live together as one.
“However, we call on the government to do all it can to assuage the fears and concerns of everyone and ensure the practice of Federalism in its true form.
“We urge the government to pay attention to the calls for restructuring and find a way to push for further devolution of powers while adopting an all-inclusive approach to governance and development in the country,” the association said.
The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria urges the government to do more in responding to the heightened level of poverty in the land and institute further measures to address the hardship being faced by the people, especially in the face of the downturn in the economy made worse by Covid-19 pandemic,
The PFN is concerned about the allegations consistently made about apparent lopsided appointments into sensitive positions by the Federal Government, alleged to favour one part of the country over the other.
They urged President Buhari and the Federal government to adopt an all-inclusive approach, not just in the manner of its appointments, but to ensure that there is a noticeable balance across ethnic and religious divides so as not to exacerbate the increasing mistrust along ethnic and religious lines in the country.
The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) restates its call for the Federal Government to activate the necessary mechanism and legal backing for the setting up of State Police in the country.
We believe that the recent agitation and introduction of different variants of Regional and Community Policing models attests to the fact that Nigerians are yearning for an alternative approach to policing.
We believe that with the introduction of a different model one that not only incorporates direct participation by other tiers of government in tackling insecurity in the country but one that will enhance the level of security in the country.