Don’t Negotiate With Criminals — PFN Cautions Buhari, FG
- No responsible government mortgages sovereignty
Amid rising insecurity that is almost ripping the country apart, the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) says no responsible government will consider negotiating with bandits over the security of lives and property of its citizens.
The religious body, which lamented the current pitiable state of security in Nigeria, cautioned the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government against engaging in any form of negotiations with criminal elements as such arrangement will spell danger for the nation’s sovereignty.
Insisting that bandits must be made to face the law, PFN regretted that the insecurity was unbearable and questioned why any responsible government would contemplate negotiating with criminals that are terrorising the country and innocent citizens.
Speaking on behalf of PFN, its President, Bishop Francis Wale Oke told Tribune Church News at the end of their national meeting in Lagos that; “Everybody should be concerned about the security situation of this nation. We want to charge the federal government to rise to its number one responsibility of protecting the lives and properties of all Nigerians.
“I want to charge the newly appointed security chiefs to not talk the talk but walk the talk, live up to expectation, bring your skills to bare and let’s deal with insurgency and insurgency.”
“PFN is of the opinion that the government should not negotiate with bandits. Negotiating with bandits is admittance of governmental failure. Bandits are not to be negotiated with, they are meant to face the full wrath of the law. Why should a credible government be negotiating with rapists, kidnappers, murders, it is not acceptable.
“I do not believe that the Nigerian government has failed yet; the government can rise up to the occasion and bring the full weight of justice to bear on the killers, rapists and bandits. These are not people to negotiate with, if anything at all the government should negotiate with the youths that are restive and not to clamp down on them. The people they should clamp down on are the bandits,” he said.
On Naira devaluation, the PFN President demanded government’s quick intervention, adding that the agricultural sector should be improved upon with drastic reduction of importation, especially in the area of consumables
“PFN is very concerned about the economic situation of the country. The value of the Naira has fallen drastically. The latest newspaper reports say a dollar is about N490; something which shows a battered economy. We heard from a newspaper report that the government is attempting to print money that is not right,” the PFN President said.
The Christian body however also advised that more jobs be created by the government in order to address youth restiveness in the country. – Nigerian Tribune
