By Omenihu Alfred fibmn
The Lagos Archdiocesan MOD Chaplain Rev Fr (MOD LT. Gen) G C EDUKE, who is equally the Chaplain of the Medical Team, and Deputy National Chaplain has charged MOD leadership at all levels to replicate and sustain the lessons and counsels of the just concluded National Security summit at Uyo AkwaIbom state. He made this clarion call during an exclusive interview with the Editor-in-chief of National Impact Glitz Magazine after the Summit.
Reacting to his personal experience at the summit, Fr Eduke acknowledged that the experience was awesome and an eye opener to the level MOD should go in an efforts to obtain proper security engagement within the space of the church.
” As you just pointed out on how it will go viral, I think all of us need to make make it work positively by replicating what we have learned and gathered from the summit in our various dioceses.”
Reflecting on the role of the church in national security through MOD more especially at this momentous epoch when national security has become enigmatic to our society, the Deputy Chaplain General stated thus:
“I think the church has started playing a very active role, by recognizing MOD as a society in the church. By giving MOD approval and space to operate, is a thumbs up for the church. I think it’s a clear indication that the church is positive about security, about securing our people, about keeping places of worship safe from being infuriated by unwanted elements. So we as volunteers and officers of MOD can still bring our proposals to the church’s authority for further blessings because everybody have their respective roles and functions and If we do not come to say, what we need, the church may not know. So we need to continue to collaborate with the church for the church to play an active role,” he explained.
Rating the coordination of the organization especially from the desk of National Executive Council and the Central Planning Committee, the Lagos ADMC rated them 79% noting that the beginning was a bit doubtful but as the event progressed everything turned out great. He likened it to the take-off of an aircraft which seems shaky before it stablizes. “This is what played out not just in this very event, but in all events, the human person plans” he noted.
He further applauded the efforts, personal resources and sleepless nights of the planning committee members.
Talking on his first take home of all resolutions from the national security summit for Lagos Archdiocese, he noted thus: ” you know as I know what MOD face today around other sister agencies, I mean some level of intimidation because we have not done a total state recognition. But I’m very very glad too that this has been sorted out. It has been my worries, it has been my fight, it has been my complaint as who permits us to dress in this manner? But now that we are registered and our certificate and other documentation will be completed soon, I think I’m very very glad about it. it will give us edge for further planning, corporation and coordination with sister security agencies to keep the church safe in times of liturgical gatherings and others.”
“For the Lagos Command, I know that we have plans for security summit before now and we have a committee working on it. So, the National Security Summit is an edge for all of us, a proper guide for us, and a way forward for us to now stamp our already existing plans for a security summit and make it even more fruitful so that our our members especially the grassroots that is the divisions will benefit absolutely. I have been enjoying the cooperation of priests and I hope I will get the cooperation of everyone because I will seriously want the fruit of this summit to get to every division. Again, we need to expand MOD to all the parishes in Lagos because security is everybody’s business. It’s not a business of one man” he reaffirmed.
Finally in his general counsel, charge and matching order to all MOD members in Nigeria as the Deputy National Chaplain, MOD Lt General Eduke said: “the advice for us is to be more vigilant. We are not supposed to carrying anything that will incriminate us. We can arrest and report the person to appropriate security agencies not to put laws into our hands. We should be properly dressed so as to be identified for the organization we represent. I think we have a lot more to learn from this summit. If all of us are involved in security, then we will put a check to national security, and that is my candid advice to everybody across board” he concluded
