Foremost cleric and General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has defended President Bola Tinubu against growing criticism over the worsening insecurity across the country.
Addressing the concerns over the rising wave of terrorism, kidnappings and violent attacks across the country at the US-Nigeria faith heroes award gala organized by the Save Nigeria Group in Washington, D.C. on June 23, Adeboye said Tinubu should only give instructions on how to deal with insecurity in Nigeria and cannot be blamed for failing to personally confront terrorists on the battlefield.
“I need to be clear on this one: I don’t support those who are accusing the president of not doing enough. When the commander-in-chief has given his subordinates instructions, he has done his part. “You don’t expect him to go and put on khaki and (fight),” he declared.
Adeboye, in comparing with the United States, said President Donald Trump was an example of how the commander-in-chief takes military decisions without personally engaging in combat.
“When my friend Trump tells you to go bomb anywhere, he doesn’t leave the White House.
“He did his part. “‘I order, bomb Iran,’ and then he goes to his bedroom and sleeps. The rest is down to the fans.
The cleric, while defending Tinubu, admitted that Nigeria’s security crisis had worsened considerably, revealing that terrorist activities had spread from northern Nigeria to the southern part of the country including areas close to him.
“Things have gone far, far worse than before the bomb came,” he said, referring to the United States bombing of Islamist terrorists last December.
Far, far worse… so bad that they say, ‘Where is your God?’ That’s how bad it is.
The terrorism, kidnapping and so on that were in the north are now even at my doorstep. They’ve come all the way down to the south. And, of course, the sponsors, they are all known, and they are still walking about freely.”
Adeboye said he personally called President Tinubu and wife, Senator Oluremi, an RCCG pastor, to discuss Nigeria’s worsening security situation.
According to him, he pressed the president to give a stern ultimatum to military commanders across the armed forces.
I said to tell all the military people: ‘You have 90 days. Eradicate this rubbish or resign.’ And then handle the supporters, the sponsors.”
Adeboye argued that the real architects of terrorism were not the gunmen carrying out attacks but the influential individuals funding and supplying them.
“You know them,” he said, referring to a previous public appeal made to the presidency.
Some of them are businessmen. Some of them are politicians. Go get them. Because if you don’t deal with those who are supplying these people with arms and ammunition, and most of the time when they go about they go about on motorcycles, if we don’t go after the sponsors the problem will continue.”
Adeboye also urged the United States and other members of the international community to intensify collaboration with Nigeria in the fight against terrorism.
He said fighting insurgency was not about fighting the fighters but going after those bankrolling violent groups.
