The President of Nigerian Baptist Convention, Rev. Israel Akanji, has urged Nigerians to be patient with President Bola Tinubu to actualise the good plans he has for the nation.
Akanji said this at the grand finale of a week-long 60th anniversary celebration of Molete Baptist Church in Ibadan.
“We are going through some period of hardship; I want to encourage all Nigerians to endure it because I have hope that things will change.
“There is no nation that becomes great without some sacrifice, and that is the kind of sacrifice we are called to make now.
“I believe that our current president has a good heart towards this nation, and he is trying to correct a lot of wrongs of the past and in order to do it, we must make some sacrifices.
“I believe that not long after now, after making the needed sacrifice, things will be better.
“So, on a general note, I appeal to all Nigerians to be patient, to be hopeful and continue to pray for the nation because we trust that God will make things better.”
Speaking on Niger Republic, Akanji urged the Nigerian Government to concentrate more on addressing the challenges faced in Nigeria than dabble into war.
“This Nigeria will become the heart of Africa, a place the whole world will want to go in a few years to come but we must endure it together, let’s accept it.
“We should try as much as possible not to go to war with Niger Republic.
“Our leaders should know that we in Nigeria are not prepared for war now, we prepare for resettling of our country and we do really pray that God will resettle us,” Akanji said.
Also speaking, the Minister in Charge of Molete Baptist Church, Rev. Edward Alabi, said that he believed in ‘Project Nigeria’ and that peace and dialogue will be the best option concerning Niger Republic.
“I subscribe to the position of the president of the convention because I’m a realist, I’m a bloody optimist, I believe in ‘Project Nigeria’.
“Can we afford more refugees with the economic situation in Nigeria?
“We need to be peaceable with our neighbours and this is a wake-up call to our national leaders that look, let’s continue to pursue the path of dialogue.
“To ensure that everyone is fine and happy, and then Nigeria will be a better place for all of us,” Alabi said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the diamond anniversary of the church started on Sunday, Aug. 20 with various activities and ended on Aug. 27 with a thanksgiving service and commissioning of projects.