Information Minister Mr. Labaran Maku has called on Nigerians to rise up in prayers and support the ongoing efforts of the government to defeat terrorism and criminality in the country. He made the call at a special Church Service for peace held at the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministry, Utako, Abuja.
The Church Service was the climax of events lined up by the Peace Intercessors Group – a non-governmental organisation, to commit Nigeria to prayers and call for citizens’ participation in the campaign to conquer insurgents in the country.
The Information Minister contended that the insurgency taking place in parts of the country was the manifestation of the spiritual struggle between the forces of light and darkness and expressed the belief that light would always triumph over darkness.
He said: “The contentions we see in Nigeria and around the world are not just physical contentions, they are contentions from the thrones of darkness. You may be seeing it physically in the name of Boko Haram, you may be seeing it physically in the name of kidnappers and cultists in our various communities, but the reality is that that foundation is the same. It is founded in the kingdom of hell. It is the servants of the enemy that are contending with the light in our country and around the world”.
According to Mr. Maku, throughout the time of Jesus Christ on earth, He stood for peace, righteousness and victory hence the need for Christians to redefine peace in the perception of Jesus Christ.
He reminded the congregation that going by the nature of the insurgency in the country, which is in form of urban, and rural guerrilla war, security forces alone could not guarantee overall peace except the people rise up in support of the efforts to overcome terrorism by being vigilant and prayerful.
Mr. Maku appealed to Nigerians to eschew pride and ego and support the government of President Goodluck Jonathan in his efforts to return the country to the path of peace and sustainable development.
The Minister called on states and local governments to organise their people in such as way that they would always be vigilant and report suspicious movements and characters to the authorities for prompt action.
“I was a deputy governor once, so I know how state government works. Every state government in the north, at least the one I knew, you organise people; every village head, every district head, every town union and all of them report directly. The village head reports to the district head, the district head reports to the chief, the chief reports to the local government chairman and to the police and on to the governor. If anything happens in any village, it shouldn’t take more than 24 hours for that report to be on the desk of the governor. Without this level of government standing up, there is no way we can go and defeat terrorism by sending the army alone”, he stated.
Mr. Maku was however worried that since the abduction of the Chibok school girls, no one from the communities had come forward with factual information about their whereabouts.
In her remarks, wife of the Minister Mrs. Mary Labaran Maku charged women in the country to key into the peace campaign of the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan and stand up and be counted since they always bear the burden of violence.
In his sermon, Senior Regional Overseer of the Mountain of Fire Ministry, Abuja, Pastors Felix Adedeji Peters, called for prayers as the panacea for insurgency and destruction by those he described as the enemies of the children of God.
He said violence, natural disaster and disease were the handiwork of evil, which could only be resisted through total submission and supplication to God.
Special prayers were offered for peace to reign in the country.
