Presiding Overseer of the Citadel Global Community Church (formerly Latter Rain Assembly), Pastor Tunde Bakare, has said the country has been run aground by the Buhari administration who failed to effectively handle the #EndSARS protests across the country, without the necessary use of force against the people.
Bakare who made the statement in his state of the nation address, condemned last Tuesday's attack on protesters in Lekki Lagos State, and called on the President to fish out those who ordered the military to do so.
While expressing sadness over the state of the nation, he said, " “We have run the nation aground and we have become insane.” He then called on Nigerians to seek divine intervention and ask the God Almighty to judge and uproot the wicked people.
Bakare said the burning down public and private properties would only worsen the matter.
He decried the arson attack on media houses including the Television Continental and The Nation Newspapers, saying some people have been indirectly denied their sources of livelihood.
The clergyman however described the nationwide protest against police brutality codenamed #EndSARS as a reflection of the systemic government failure.
He said the now disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) can be aptly captured as state aided robbery squad.
Bakare tasked the President to move from commitment to ending SARS to fulfilling the five demands of the #EndSARS movement.
“Those who ordered armed soldiers to shoot at protesters should be fixed out to face the full wrath of the law while those soldiers too should be prosecuted,” he said.
He said the #EndSARS protest which was widespread nationwide has showed that the youth have finally woken up, stating that the older generation has failed the younger generation.
Saying he is “heartbroken” by the current happenings, Bakare said the nation must not pitch generations against each other.
“The hindsight of the younger generation must propel the foresight of the older generation. There must be a unity of purpose across generation,” he advised.