BY TERYIMA ANDREW-
The Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) rose from it 66th General Church Council (GCC) meeting on Friday, at it headquarters in Jos, Plateau state to express disappointment over the federal government failures to protect lives of it citizens.
The Church particular lamented over the continuous killings of innocent citizens in Kaduna, Plateau, Benue, Kogi, Katsina, Zamfara, Taraba and Adamawa states by armed herdsmen.
“GCC is alarmed at the spate of killings for ritual purpose, frequent mass murder of harmless, innocent and defenseless citizens.
“The council views with serious concern the unabated attacks of armed herdsmen across the country, especially in the middle belt and northern states of Kaduna, Plateau, Benue, Kogi, Katsina, Zamfara Tarabe and Adamawa states as they continue to destroy lives, farm and property of innocent members of their host communities.”
A communiqué jointly signed by ECWA president Rev. Stephen Panya Baba, and ECWA general secretary, Rev. Yunusa Sabo Nmadu, at the end of the GCC expressed disappointment in the inability of the federal government in securing Nigerians, particularly it member which is still in Boko Haram captivity over two years.
“Council frown at the failure of the Federal government to secure the release of the only Christian girl, Leah Sharibu who is an ECWA member that was abducted by Boko Haram amongst many female students of government secondary school Dapchi.”
It stressed that “ECWA observed with grave concern the levity with which the government and her agencies treat the abduction of young girls in the northern region of the country where they are forced into early marriages. The Church believes that this is an infringement of the fundamental human right of the young girls and criminal offence.”
The communiqué however commend efforts by the Nigerian military in defending Nigerians “ECWA commends the efforts of the military in tackling insurgency in Nigeria, but observe the subtle militarization of the polity with the setting up of all sorts of military operations perceived by many Nigerians as targeted at silencing legitimate ventilation of grievances, and with the attendant breach of fundamental rights of the citizenry due to the highhandedness of the military.”
ECWA expressed worries over health infrastructural decay in Nigeria, it call on authorities concern to rise to the challenge of ensuring better healthcare delivery to Nigerians.
On the lack of employments among Nigerian youth, the denomination call on government at all levels to involve the church in it entrepreneurship programmes to enable the country tackle unemployment.
Heads of ECWA church across the globe attended the general church council meeting, it was learnt that ECWA has created bye-laws to it constitution.