I’m ready to plead guilty – Bakare

Pastor Tunde Bakare

CONVENER of Save Nigeria Group, SNG, Pastor Tunde Bakare, has said he was ready to plead guilty on his stance on the manner Nigeria was being governed in the present administration of President Goodluck Jonathan.

Briefing newsmen in Lagos, Bakare said he will not water down his position on state of the nation, as suggested by Lagos State Director of State Security Services, SSS, during their last encounter. He insisted that he was never arrested by the SSS.

He said he had nothing against President Jonathan, as his position on current events in the country was informed by bad governance, misappropriation and embezzlement of state funds.

He said: “Let me make it clear that SSS operatives did not arrest or interrogate me for eight hours. The State Director of SSS and his men treated me with respect and dignity.  “If I am being asked to tone down my message because of my perceived partisanship, those asking me to do so have only succeeded in precipitating a tone up.

“The State Director himself had earlier visited me here at the Latter Rain Assembly in November 2011, making the same request that I tone down my message where politics is concerned, especially with regard to the person of President Jonathan.”

On the recent arraignment of some petroleum importers over subsidy funds, Bakare said: “Concerning all the window-dressing, the shenanigans and the charade going on in respect of the subsidy thieves, it is my opinion that the efforts of this government cannot deliver justice, neither are they meant to.

“If you think my present stand is against Jonathan’s person, then you goof. It is against bad governance, misappropriation of state funds, embezzlement of public funds and spending money like water without appropriation.

“I am against whoever does any of such things. Let it be known to you that neither I nor SNG marched for Jonathan. We marched for constitutionality; for the constitution to be followed regardless of who that action favours or doesn’t favour”, he stated.