Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Enugu, Rt. Rev. Samuel Ike, has urged South-East Governors to take deliberate steps in the New Year to stop the incessant killings and kidnapping ravaging the zone.
In a New Year message he issued Wednesday – today, January 1, 2025 – in Enugu, the Enugu State capital, with the title: “Another Year is Dawning”, Ike said the New Year offers a new opportunity for the political leadership in the South-East to put an end to the brazen killing and kidnapping of residents each week, as witnessed in 2024.
Stating that 2025 is coming with a wake-up call for the South-East Governors to make conscious efforts to tackle insecurity in the zone, Ike emphasized that “these latest killings and kidnapping in the zone are a wake-up call for the Governors of the South-Eastern states as well as the Joint Security and Armed Forces, to act up to their basic responsibility of protection of lives and property of the citizens.”
“I call on the Governors and the Federal Government to effectively deploy both kinetic and non-kinetic approaches within the zone,” the cleric stressed.
“There should be effective proactive surveillance and intelligence devices such as drones and others to stem this ugly cancer of insecurity in the life of the Nigerian nation especially the South-East.
“We can wipe out insecurity, going into 2025, if we muster the resolve and political-will to do so.”
He, however, urged Nigerians to be hopeful and to look up to God, “the Creator of the world and the Ultimate Controlling force in the affairs of people and nations.
“We must, individually and as a people, resolve to fear God and acknowledge His righteousness in our daily living, dealings, and governance.
“This is because righteousness and the fear of God exalt a nation,” he declared.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), quoted Bishop Ike as also enjoining Nigerians to put the fear of God first in all they do and shun short-cuts, greed, corruption, and laziness, praying for God’s grace and mercy upon Nigeria and the citizens as they work assiduously towards progress and prosperity in 2025.
