Taiwo Akinola, the presiding bishop of Rhema Christian Church & Towers (RCC&T), has called on the government to initiate concrete efforts capable of tackling Nigeria’s twin challenges of unemployment and poverty among the citizenry.
“Certainly, concrete efforts must be exerted to tackle the twin challenge of unemployment and poverty,” Akinola said during the Rhema World Convention 2022, themed, ‘The God that answers by fire’.
The convention, which started on Sunday 6 November will be concluded today 13 November with the annual family thanksgiving, communion, ordination and commissioning Service at the Church headquarters along the Lagos-Abeokuta, Expressway, Temidire, Sango Ota, Ogun State.
Akinola stated that data from the NBS indicated that the cost of household items and other essential commodities have gone overboard with some as much as 500 percent. “The Government at this period must take the necessary step to save the economy and Nigerians from the pangs of hunger.”
According to the clergyman, the present ruling class in Nigeria is destroying the future of the country’s youth through a lack of employment opportunities and failure to explore the possibility of channeling their energy towards productive ventures by providing enabling environment for them to thrive.
“Out of disenchantment with the system, with sadness, the best of our youths are fleeing the country in droves in search of greener pastures. Some even engage in unorthodox means to achieve this, thus exposing their lives to danger, agony and harrowing experiences,” Akinola stated.
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The cleric equally urged the government to generate synergies and intensify efforts in the rehabilitation and construction of new roads. He equally called on the governors, to take up the challenge to step up their activities in securing their states.
He stated further that all hands must be on deck to reverse the deteriorating security issues in the country so that the government can discharge its primary responsibility of safeguarding the lives and property of the citizens.
Similarly, he appealed to the government to urgently restructure the country’s economic system, develop sincere courage to fight corruption, and address the issue of unemployment in the better interests of employable youth towards a more beautiful future for the country at large.
Akinola stated that the daily incidences of violence across Nigeria have created a specter of fear among the citizens in all parts of the country. Accordingly, he stated that the Church is constantly burdened and somewhat traumatised by the growing level of insecurity in the country.
“We believe that the security of lives and property is a foremost constitutional responsibility of the government and where government fails in this regard, there is great cause for concern,” Akinola stated.
Speaking on the 2023 general elections, Akinola commended the President Buhari’s signing into law of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2022, especially the introduction of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the electronic transmission of results.
“As the countdown to the election draws nearer, the reports we are getting, however, is that some politicians want to distort the use of technology for the 2023 general elections, which is quite sad. We are calling on Nigerians to vote according to their conscience with the future in view, and not allow any manipulation from any political parties or leaders,” he stated.
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