. Demands free, fair polls, issue-based campaigns
Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt
The Spiritual Advisory Council (SAC) of Christ Church, Port Harcourt, has called on the federal and state governments to urgently intensify efforts to address worsening insecurity and economic hardship across the country.
The council also condemned what it described as the “increasingly unrestrained ostentatious display of affluence” by public officials and members of the political class amid widespread hardship, urging greater accountability, selflessness and efficiency in public service.
The resolutions were contained in a communiqué issued at the end of the 10th meeting of the SAC, in Port Harcourt, under the theme, “Manifesting His Glory,” drawn from Psalm 97:6.
The communiqué was signed by the SAC Chairman, His Eminence, Dr Ekpenyong Nyong Akpanika, Prelate and Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Nigeria, and Elder Deinabo Tennyson Horsfall, Secretary of the 10th SAC.
Christ Church, an ecumenical church founded in 1938, comprises the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Methodist Church of Nigeria and Presbyterian Church of Nigeria
The SAC expressed grave concern over the persistent wave of kidnappings and violent crimes across the country.
While commending the government, armed forces and other security agencies for recent gains in the fight against insecurity, the council urged them to “rise to the occasion” and urgently tackle the kidnapping crisis.
The council welcomed the federal government’s proposed restructuring of the policing system through a dual policing framework involving state and federal police commands, saying the initiative could deliver a more localised and effective security system if properly implemented.
On the economy, the SAC described the prevailing situation as severe, saying the hardship had also contributed to the country’s security challenges.
“It has rarely been this difficult in our nation and for her citizens during peace time,” it said, urging governments to ensure that measures introduced to reduce transportation and food costs were genuinely and evenly implemented.
The council further called for stronger interventions to cushion the impact of what it described as “most excruciating and increasingly unbearable” economic hardship.
It also demanded what it termed “moral and ethical rearmament” among public officials and politicians, with improved accountability, propriety and efficiency in public service, free from waste and corruption.
Ahead of the 2027 general election, the SAC urged government to guarantee free and fair elections, while calling on political parties and candidates to pursue peaceful and issue-based campaigns.
It also encouraged citizens, particularly Christians, to participate actively in the political process and vote for candidates capable of delivering good governance.
On Rivers State, the council congratulated the leadership and people of the state on what it described as the restoration of constitutional order, praying for continued peace and progress.
The meeting also reviewed developments within Christ Church, commending its leadership and new ministers for a smooth transition and growing unity. It encouraged greater investment in youth development through skills acquisition programmes and endorsed the church’s Food Bank initiative for supporting vulnerable members and the wider community.
The council urged Christians to remain steadfast in faith and continue praying for Nigeria, while promoting hard work, honesty, perseverance and patriotism, and rejecting prejudice, hatred, violence and bloodshed.