Reverend James Akinola supports operation Amotekun

The Retired Bishop of the Igbomina Diocese, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Rt. Reverend Peter James Akinola, has urged South-West governors to remain resolute in their determination to tackle insecurity and ensure ‘Operation Amotekun’ succeeds.

He also charged them not to be fazed or discouraged by the position of the Federal Government and the antagonists of the regional security outfit, declaring that “Operation Amotekun has come to stay”.

The cleric, who noted that the declaration of the outfit as illegal and unconstitutional by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, was not enough reason to kill the South-West security network, maintaining ‘Operation Amotekun’ remains the best solution to security challenges in the southwest.

Akinola gave this position on Saturday, in his sermon at the 10th anniversary Thanksgiving Service of the Diocese of Ijebu South-West, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), held at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Odogbolu, Ogun State.

The retired bishop further argued that if the regional security outfit was not enshrined in the country’s constitution as pointed out by the AGF, the constitution should be quickly amended to allow such outfits to operate in collaboration with other conventional security agencies to combat crimes.

He, however, called on the people in the South-West to support Operation Amotekun, insisting that it remains the best thing to have happened to the region in recent times.

Speaking at the service with the theme ‘Thanksgiving and Appreciation to God’, Akinola underscored the essence of giving thanks to God irrespective of one’s condition.

While felicitating with the diocese on its 10th anniversary, the cleric charged the members to always support the bishop in charge in his bid to take it to the enviable height.

In his remark at the service, the Diocesan Bishop, Rt. Rev. Babatunde Ogunbanwo, noted that the diocese had grown and engaged massively in the propagation of the word of God in the last ten years.

He added that the thanksgiving service had become imperative in order to celebrate God’s mercy and the successes recorded by the Ijebu South-West Diocese since its creation in 2010.