IPOB Sit-at-home : Bishop Ikeakor faults the order, as it bleeds the economy ----holds Synod at Azigbo

www.odogwublog.com reports that Bishop of Amichi Anglican diocese, Rt. Reverend Ephraim Ikeakor said he is not at home with the stay at home order of the Indigenous people of Biafra (IPOB) in honour of their members who lost their lives during the Nigerian/Biafran civil war.

Bishop Ikeakor stated this during a press briefing to mark the third session of the third synod of Amichi Anglican diocese at St. James Anglican Church, Azigbo in Nnewi south Local Government Area of Anambra state.

He opined that there is nothing wrong in agitating for independence but condemned in strong terms, their stay at home order and its extension to other geo-political zones.

His words: “I leant the stay at home order was extended to Abuja, Lagos, Jos, Kogi and other Northern and southern parts of the country by the pro Biafran agitator, IPOB. To me, there is nothing wrong with the agitation but why sit at home and extension order?

“Sit at home breeds hunger and economy is in recession. The ideology is wonderful but we need to thinker properly so that we don’t mess ourselves up. We should advise our youths not to plunge us into another civil war” he urged.

 The prelate while speaking on the theme of the synod, which is; “Contending for the Faith and Maintaining Bible Standard in a perverse and anti-Christian Generation” informed the congregation that God, through the synod, wants to bring His people back to standard Christian life as light of the world.

He however observed that the church of God, especially in Nigeria, is being challenged by Islamic fundamentalism, terrorism and aggression, revealing that that Christians can only contend for the faith and still maintain Bible standard by holding tenaciously, the bible and praying fervently to God.

“Looking into the society and church of today and the values being propagated and celebrated now, it means the church is at the cross road because the mission of the church is being abandoned by many forces including the false teachings of fake pastors and church leaders.

“Also, the moral depravity and bankruptcy in our society also informed the choice of this theme because the church does not exist in a vacuum. The church exists in a society and every society has context.

“In our society today, vices are highly celebrated and rewarded while virtues are disdained. So, how can the church maintain her status as the light of the world in such a terrible and challenging environment?

Some many people either abandons the genuine Christian faith out rightly or are practicing what we call now, neo-paganism and syncretism. Also, the revival of the doctrinal factors is also affecting the church.

“The issue of secularizing the gospel, embracing the doctrine of liberalism and the utility gospel that is being preached everywhere constitute a challenge to our Christian faith. Our government and traditional rulers engage into revival of idolatry in the name of cultural revival and our church members are relapsing and are being swallowed up by the society”

Odogwublog.com reports that IPOB had earlier ordered every Igbo person to stay at home and remember their heroes and heroines past and as well, ensure that all roads leading to south east zone were blocked on May, an order that did not go down well with many stakeholders and clergy.

 From Odogwu Emeka Odogwu, Awka