A cleric, Rev. Gabriel Akinbiyi has advised leaders to be God-fearing, even as he said those who had looted the nation’s treasury must be prosecuted.
He spoke during the 11th Synod of the Diocese of Akoko, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), at St. James’ Anglican Church, Supare-Akoko, Akoko Lagos.
He decried the monumental corruption perpetrated by government officials, particularly at the federal level, which he said hinders all-round development. He regretted that funds meant for the procurement of weapons to combat Boko Haram terrorists were diverted into private bank accounts; a situation he said rendered soldiers helpless.
Rev. Akinbiyi frowned at the state of national insecurity, including the incessant kidnappings, Boko Haram insurgency, attacks by Fulani herdsmen and vandalisation of natural gas and crude oil pipelines by the Niger Delta Avengers and other militant groups.
He, therefore, urged government to proffer solutions to these challenges, while calling on leaders to be committed to the change which they promised Nigerians in order to salvage the nation from total collapse.
“Life has become difficult for Nigerians with the recent deregulation of the downstream sector which coincided with the increase in tariff of electricity supply, without palliative measures to lessen its effect on Nigerians. It is unfortunate that workers are owed several months of salaries and pensions in about 24 states are not paid.”
The cleric called on the state and Federal Governments to pay salaries to workers and pensioners being owed, to save people from continuous starvation.
Rev. Akinbiyi added that with the present depreciation of the Naira, fall in crude oil prices in the international market, government at all levels must put in place machinery to diversify the economy.
“They must improve other sectors including agriculture, solid minerals, tourism, and other facilities that have high potential to save the nation from the present doldrums,” he said.
He condemned the plan of the Federal Government to finance grazing reserves for those rearing cattle across the nation, saying it is an act of nepotism and favouritism of one tribe over others. He recommended that government should encourage private establishment of ranches.
He also called for the attention of the federal and state governments to the lives of Christians being threatened, “especially those in the Northern part of Nigeria where a Christian was beaten up for not observing the Ramadan fasting; the law made by a governor that before you can preach religion, a license must be obtained and the use of Hijab by female Muslim pupils to schools in the South. Nigeria is a secular state where religion is supposed to be voluntary.
“The Federal and state governments should, therefore, look into these actions with the utmost sincerity to avoid religious crisis,” he said.
Rev. Akinbiyi also called on government at all levels to create jobs for the unemployed youths to reduce poverty and insecurity.
