President Goodluck Jonathan has expressed concern over the spate of kidnapping incidents in the country, saying the situation has called for real soul searching and re-evaluation of the nation’s value system.
The President said this today during the ongoing standing committee meeting of the Anglican Communion at St. Peter’s Deanery, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State Capital.
He described kidnapping as alien to the nation’s norms.
Jonathan said he had earlier today had a meeting with heads of security agencies to ensure that the abducted Most Reverend Ignatius Kattey, the Dean of the Niger Delta Diocese of the Church of Nigeria Anglican Communion, is released unhurt.
According to the president, “Speaking of crime and insecurity in the country, it is a matter of personal pain and regret to me that Most Reverend Ignatius Kattey, the Bishop of the Province of the Niger Delta, is not with us today because he is still being held by abductors. It is quite worrisome that such inhuman crime as kidnapping has now taken root in our society. It certainly calls for real soul searching and re-evaluation of our entire value system.
“I strongly condemn the continued abduction by criminal elements in our society who seek to profit from other people’s suffering . The Federal Government and its security agencies will continue to do everything possible to rescue Bishop Kattey and other abductees and ensure that their kidnappers are brought to justice.”
The president also reaffirmed that the current state of emergency in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States were yielding fruitful results.
“The gains of the state of emergency in the North-East has been tremendous and felt by all. From a society that was coping with uncertainty, we’re now beginning to see a gradual return to normalcy in most parts of the north and other parts of the country with greater level of certainty in our daily lives.”
Describing the theme of the meeting, “Put on the Whole Armour of God” as absolutely timely, Jonathan called on all Nigerians to show greater faith in God’s wisdom and put their faith to greater use in improving the nation while resisting all evils.
He said, “The theme is a timely reminder that as christians. We’re called to fight a spiritual war not with physical weapons, but with faith and love which reinforces our conviction that the true test of christianity is not in fanning the embers of hatred which debases our humanity, but in showing love which uplifts our being and existence on earth”.
Earlier, Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson urged the church to continue to pray for the unity of the country.
He also called for support for Jonathan’s administration in its efforts towards improving the lives of all Nigerians and for the establishment of structures that would provide meaningful services to the people.
In his own address, the Primate of the Anglican Communion, Most Reverend Nicholas Okoh said that the country needed a lot of prayers to surmount the challenges facing her.
