“Of course the almost unending security problems accentuated by the insurgency in the north-eastern parts of the country, the herders-farmers clashes and its attendant killings of innocent persons in the Middle Belt Region and banditry and cattle rustling in the north-west, ethnic and religious clashes in Southern Kaduna and kidnapping and abduction of innocent citizens in virtually all parts of the country, which have become intractable, are almost becoming the norm in our country”.
Sir. Diamond Ovueraye KSM, the Worthy Supreme Knight of St. Mulumba, stated this Thursday during a press briefing of the 41st Supreme Council Convention, holding between 26th to 29th November 2020, in Asaba.
Flanked by Dr. Charles Mbele, Deputy Supreme Knight and Sir. Anthony Onu, the immediate past Supreme Knight, the body pointed out that the situation is unacceptable as the Order, has at various times with its Christo-centric ideals, have come out boldly and decisively to condemn the poor management of these crisis by the Federal Government.
According to Sir. Ovueraye, the Order had also raised alarm that the country, was descending into anarchy, if urgent and concrete measures were not adopted to stem the decline in all facets of our daily lives.
“We have in addition to our traditional roles of defending the Christian Faith, Catholic Actions, purveyor of charity and providing succour to the poor, escalated press releases to draw the attention of the federal government to these inanities and urging decisive solutions to them”.
Ovueraye, stressed that the global Covid-19 pandemic, with its unparalleled challenges and restrictions and the recent #ENDSARS protests by the youths and its not-too-salutary handling by the Nigerian government, indeed, added to the several problems of the country.
“We believe earnestly, that it is our bounding duty as soldiers of Christ to be the forceful voice for the voiceless and defend at all times and everywhere, the aspirations of the poor and vulnerable persons”.
He noted that the theme of the Convention under the aegis of the Benin Metropolitan Council of the Order this year, tagged: “The Church and Global Challenges” was apt considering the security challenges bedeviling the country.
Meanwhile, the Order has added their voice to some provisions of the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA), 2020, which received presidential assent on 7th August 2020, and became operative on October 1st, drew the attention the controversial aspect in section 839(I)-(ii) which has also generated disparate reactions from a cross section of Nigeria.
They argued further that the section in part F. of the Act, empowers the Corporate Affairs Commission to suspend Trustees of Associations, appoint new Trustees of Associations and or interim managers of Associations or their assets/property since the terms “Associations” was not aptly defined as it leaves room for the CAC to surreptitiously exert unfettered control over religious bodies and churches.
He added that the Convention would review some relevant provisions of their Constitution, in order to give verve to the reform intended to make the Order, better, responsive to the yearnings of its members, fraternal and a more rounded family Order, “This we hope will make the Order unencumbered in any way to exercise its functions and roles more effectively.
