The National President of the Congress of Nigerian Gospel Ministers Incorporated, His Eminence, Most Rev Prof. Philip Okpanwa Akam, announced that his members across Nigeria’s 36 states will not participate in the upcoming nationwide protest against hunger and economic hardship, set to begin in August 2024.
Prof. Akam, who is also the Primate of Christ The Light Gospel Mission Incorporated, made this announcement during a press briefing following a meeting with the Anambra State Chapter of the Congress in Amawbia-Awka.
Describing the members of his Congress as genuine, peaceful, and law-abiding Ministers of God, Akam emphasized that they do not see adequate reasons to join the organized protest against the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“Whatever the protest, be it peaceful or non-peaceful, we are not going to be part of it. Nobody who is a member of this Congress would participate. Members of our Churches should not participate and we should go back to our various congregations and tell them that we are not part of this type of protest that is upcoming,” Akam stated.
Instead of protesting, Akam suggested a different approach: meeting with President Tinubu to discuss his leadership style. He proposed offering constructive feedback on both the successes and shortcomings of the administration and providing advice on how to address the current economic challenges affecting Nigerians, including their own members.
Akam also voiced his dissatisfaction with how the Nigerian government has been neglecting genuine church organizations like the Congress of Nigerian Gospel Ministers. Established and commissioned on March 26, 1993, under the military administration of General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida, the Congress feels marginalized by the current government.
“The government is not carrying the Churches along, and that is why things are not going normal the way they should be, in a country like Nigeria blessed with all natural resources anybody can think of,” Akam lamented.
This decision by the Congress of Nigerian Gospel Ministers Incorporated highlights a call for dialogue and cooperation between religious organizations and the government, rather than confrontation, in addressing the nation’s pressing issues.
