PFN to govt: Fix economy, end corruption, empower citizens

By Evelyn Usman

As Nigeria prepares to people its 65th independency anniversary, the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria PFN, yesterday, asked national and authorities governments to instrumentality urgent steps to hole the economy, extremity corruption, and empower citizens to unrecorded with dignity, alternatively than dependence.

It besides called for afloat independency of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, arsenic a captious measurement toward credible elections successful Nigeria.

According to the Christian body, lone a escaped and just process tin reconstruct assurance successful the nation’s democracy.

Speaking connected the authorities of the federation astatine a briefing to people the PFN’s 40th day astatine the nationalist secretariat of the faith-based organisation successful Lagos, the President, Bishop Wale Oke, reminded leaders that Nigerians were passing done 1 of the astir hard seasons successful the nation’s history.

He said: “Please, perceive to the cries of the populace. The radical are successful agony and successful pain. They are struggling to past much than ever before. Let’s hole the system to marque definite the leakages are filled and stopped. The tremendous wealthiness of this federation indispensable not beryllium trapped with the 5 per cent astatine the top, fto it spell down to the grassroots.”.

While acknowledging God’s grace that has kept Nigeria united, contempt daunting challenges, Bishop Oke warned against politicising the anti-corruption fight, saying “let’s punish corruption. Anybody recovered blameworthy should beryllium severely punished.

‘’The anti-corruption agencies similar ICPC and EFCC should not go governmental tools. They indispensable run neutrally and woody with corruption without authorities interference.

“If INEC is nether the thumb of government, past the 1 who pays the piper dictates the tune. For america to person credible elections escaped of manipulation and ballot stuffing, INEC indispensable beryllium genuinely independent.’’

Calling connected Nigerians to articulation hands to rebuild the nation, the cleric lamented the continued descent of the naira.

“When you devalue people’s money, you devalue their lives. I ne'er thought successful my beingness 1 dollar would bargain ¦ 1,500. In 1985, with ¦ 500, I got $865. At that time, 1 naira was astir adjacent to 1 lb and 2 dollars. What has happened to us?’’ helium queried.

On unemployment, the PFN leader, who advised that deliberate policies beryllium enactment successful spot to sorb young radical into productive ventures, noted that Nigeria had much jobless youths than adults.

He said: “If authorities establishes cottage industries successful each of the 774 section authorities areas, employing conscionable 500 youths each, that takes thousands disconnected the streets. We indispensable besides woody with the menace of almajirai and thoroughfare boys causing nuisance each implicit the place. Government should put much successful acquisition and healthcare.

“Many schools inactive deficiency roofs and furniture, portion hospitals stay poorly equipped. Why indispensable our leaders alert overseas for treatment? Equip 1 tertiary infirmary successful each geo-political portion to planetary standards and Nigerians volition person assurance successful our system.’’

While calling for monolithic concern successful infrastructure, including power, roads, rail, and aviation, Bishop Oke cautioned politicians against reducing citizens to beggars with token handouts.

“Giving wealth to radical does not present them from poverty. Empower them with livelihood. Stop encouraging Nigerians to beryllium connected alms. It makes them poorer and susceptible to manipulation during elections,” helium maintained.

On his portion , Lagos State Chairman of the PFN, Pastor Yemi Davies, said though the fellowship had contributed immensely to Nigeria’s improvement successful the past 4 decades, the enormity of the nation’s challenges successful governance, infrastructure, and corruption often made it look it was not doing enough. Davies described the past 40 years arsenic monumental for the religion successful presumption of growth, enlargement and missions, noting that if determination was thing Nigeria had exported, it was the gospel.

He, however, lamented that lapses successful governance since independency had been overwhelming, fuelling nationalist choler and blasted connected the church.

According to him, “PFN churches person consistently cushioned government’s failures successful acquisition and societal interventions by establishing universities, secondary schools, and scholarships, which besides supply monolithic employment.

‘’Nigeria would person been worse successful transgression and fraud without the stabilising relation of the church.’’

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