· Netziens tackle pastor
By Abbey PRINCE
The continued detention of the duo of suspended Central Bank Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, and the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has drawn the ire of the Serving Overseer of the Citadel Global Community Church, Pastor Tunde Bakare.
Preaching to his congregation on Sunday, the one-time presidential aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, said that he warned against the “Emilokan” kind of politics.
Emilokan, a Yoruba term meaning ‘It’s my turn,’ became very popular when it was used by President Bola Tinubu during his 2023 pre-election campaign.
The DSS arrested Emefiele in June, which according to the spokesperson of the security agency, Peter Afunanya, “was on the strength of suspected fresh criminal infractions/information, one of which forms the basis for his current prosecution.”
In a State of the Nation broadcast at the church in Ikeja, Lagos, Bakare alleged that “emilokan” was a tendency of authoritarianism.
In the address themed ‘Vice, Virtue & Time: Three Things That Never Stand Still,’ the controversial cleric said, “I’m reminded of the warning that I sounded to Nigerians in January 2023 in my address titled, ‘Bridging the gap between politics and governance.’
“I warned that the politics of entitlement; the ’emilokan’ type of politics would breed an imperium presidency, one that would slide towards dictatorship and would be intolerant of dissent.”
Reacting, Bakare said, “The actions of the DSS have raised concerns about professionalism and adherence to the rule of law. The reported invasion of the premises of the EFCC and the handling of the case of Emefiele have sparked discussions regarding the need for due process and equitable application of justice.
“The handling of the Emefiele case has sent a signal to the world and the current President’s disposition to the war against corruption.”
The cleric said the war against corruption by the present administration was like making some people scapegoats by virtue of them being “political adversaries while various other major enemies of Nigeria remain untouched.”
He said Emefiele if found culpable, should be prosecuted, adding that the suspended CBN governor might have made a wrong call in the management of the monetary affairs of the country, but he should not be made a scapegoat because he could not have acted without presidential authorisation.
Bakare also used the address to describe the fuel subsidy removal as “impulsive”.
He said the poor people were being made to suffer for the corruption of a few powerful people benefiting from the subsidy regime, noting the president should have gone after those individuals, and not “punish” Nigerians.
Reacting to Bakare’s position, Eze James Kelechi tweeting @ejamesworld31 on X, formerly Twitter, said, “You are a political man and not a pastor…”
Also, CoolWonder™© tweeting @Sinnister_7 said, “We remember what you did sir. Including the implications to many Christians in 🇳🇬. Please keep quiet, we don’t want to hear you again, except your self-serving prophecy comes to pass.”
