You’re sowing seed of discord, Rivers Sole Administrator Ibas blasts Bakare

The Sole Administrator of Rivers State, retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, has accused the Founder of the Citadel Global Community Church, Lagos, Pastor Tunde Bakare, of sowing a seed of discord with his State of the Nation Address on Sunday.

 

The Sole Administrator replied to Bakare in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Hector Igbikiowubo, on Sunday.

 

Igbikiowubo said the Ibas-led administration would not dignify Babar’s “vituperations” with a response.

 

He said such remarks neither added value to the discussion nor helped the peace-building process in Rivers State.

 

Recall that Bakare, in his sermon on Sunday, faulted the imposition of a state of emergency on Rivers State.

 

Responding, Igbikiowubo said: “The administration run by Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.) is focused and delivering on the mandate he has been given.

 

“Rivers State is going through trying times and we won’t be distracted by the commentary albeit the vituperations of people who want two minutes of fame.

 

“I don’t know this pastor, seriously speaking.

 

“And the Rivers State Government will not dignify his vituperations with a response.

 

“I sincerely do not know him.

 

“You said he used to be a vice presidential candidate.

 

“So, obviously he didn’t win whatever platform he ran on.

 

“Nigeria is a country of over 230 million people.

 

“We have almost half of that number of faces.

 

“So, we have thousands of preachers.

 

“If someone leaves the message he should be delivering to the Christian faithful in this season of peace and tranquility, rather than preach peace and the need to heal or the need to come together and he is preaching distraction or trying to make himself the issue, we can’t help but ignore.

 

“How has he contributed to the peace building efforts in Rivers State with his commentary?

 

“Would he rather have the roof come down on all of our heads in Rivers State?

 

“Whatever affects Rivers State affects the country.

 

“Whatever affects the nose affects the eyes.

 

:What affects the eyes affects the ears.

 

“Rivers State occupies a very critical space in Nigeria’s body polity.

 

“So, the easiest thing to do is to sit on the fence and grandstand and pass commentary that adds no value.

 

“I urge the likes of Tunde Bakare and the people around him, people who should be influencing Christian faithful properly, to note that the Easter season presents all of us an opportunity, especially those who occupy the pulpit and positions of authority to preach peace, peaceful cohabitation amongst all.

 

“Now rather than do that he has seized the opportunity to sow the seeds of discord and to foment trouble.

 

“I sincerely hope that others will see this as a learning call and seize the opportunities as they may arise tomorrow to help initiate peace-building efforts.

 

“Tunde Bakare has not helped in this instance and I will not dignify his commentary with anything other than pointing this out.”