Nigeria has no business being a poor country, says Akwa Ibom cleric

Nigeria has enough resources to be a rich nation and has no business being a poor country with millions of her citizens living in poverty, Akwa Ibom-based Cleric, John Okoriko has said.

Okoriko, who is the founder of Solid Rock Kingdom Church in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, blamed the current economic downturn on insensitive political leadership which he said had thrown the country into untold hardship resulting in spiral inflation and high cost of living.

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Speaking in Uyo during the monthly Interactive Service, he said every Nigerian should be living comfortably if the economy was well managed.

“The problems we are facing in this country are man- made not from God who has given us enough resources. God has blessed us with abundant resources, especially in Akwa Ibom State.

“Bola Tinubu is the president of Nigeria and he will answer all questions about hunger, insecurity and poor management of the economy,” he said.

The cleric, who spoke on the theme ‘God Blames Man, Man Blames Spirits Over Wickedness in the World: Who is Right?”, explained that all evils such as killings, poor economy, food crisis, insecurity, banditry and hardship Nigerians are facing today were caused by man not God as widely believed in many quarters.

According to him, “Wickedness does not come from God but man.

“Why do you we talk about fuel subsidy in Tinubu’s time? If we experience hardship, it is the action of our leaders and those who supported him.

“Every nation, family, church is regulated by the highest authority. So whatever happens, the president is responsible not evil spirit.

“What we are going through in the country is man-made. Nigeria is the richest country in the world in terms of mineral resources. There is no need for anybody among us to be poor.”

In Akwa Ibom State, he said, there was no need for anybody to be roaming the street looking for job, adding that God has blessed the state with abundant resources. He said: “How we manage these resources determines what happens to us in the country, not evil spirits.”

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Okoriko, who advised religious people to learn to control their emotions so that they would not blame wickedness for their predicament maintaining that violence, is caused by human beings and not wicked spirits.

“Violence and wickedness originated from Human beings, violence is everywhere in the world and is being carried out by people and not evil spirits.”

He advised people to repent and do the right thing to earn blessings rather than putting blames on evil spirits which he said were not created by God.