The Seventh Day Adventist Church in Nigeria has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to stop conducting elections on Saturdays.
President of the Seventh Day Adventist Church, Western Nigeria Union, Pastor Oyeleke Owolabi, told newsmen in Ekiti on Tuesday that its members were “not feeling comfortable because we are being disenfranchised”.
“We have written many letters to INEC on the need to shift elections from Saturday and I know that it will accede to the request one day.
“We have seen a situation whereby a gubernatorial election was conducted in the country on Tuesday and I think the country recorded the highest turnout in history; so we are begging the INEC to put the interest of our people at heart,” he said.
On corruption, Pastor Owolabi said men of God have a crucial role to play in fighting the challenge.
“The government must engage every institution to fight the scourge. The family that raised the child must be involved, because how can a child carried in corrupt womb and raised in a corrupt family grows up to be a good child? So, family values must change for Nigeria to make headway in this regard.
“Then, the educational institutions, community, religious and other institutions must be involved. It has to be a holistic approach, but relying on religious institutions alone may not be proper”, he warned.
The cleric further appealed to government to study every church operating in the country before embarking on the proposed imposition of tax on religious institutions.
“Government must not see churches and mosques as money-making ventures. Let them examine the churches and mosques very well and know those that are established for profit.
“Churches should not be places where you display opulence, but places for purification, transparency and accountability. They should help in waging war against corruption.
“As far as Adventist Church is concerned, we are not established for money-making. Some of the educational and health institutions attested to the fact that we are out to give joy to the people and contribute to the development of any community we find ourselves and these we have been doing”.
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