CAC President counsels Buhari, governors on unemployment, corruption in New Year message
The President of Christ Apostolic Church, Pastor Abraham Akinosun has called on President Mohammadu Buhari to offer solution the growing army of unemployed youths, address nepotism in his government and tackle the menace of corruption in the country.
In his New Year message made available to Church Times on Thursday, Akinosun said the priority of government at all levels in Nigeria should be to lift people out of poverty “The Federal Government should deliberately create jobs for the army of unemployed. It is not glorifying at all that our country is said to be the poverty capital of the world. Everything should be done to rein in the youths who are now engaged in all kinds of means other than honest to make a living, back to the path of rectitude.” The statement reads.
Akinosun also urged The Federal Government to do everything in his capacity to bring an end to terrorism in the country. While noting that government had repeatedly said Boko haram had been nipped, he said the experience in the last few days is to the contrary.
The CAC president stated, “Only on Christmas day, the so called ISIS West Africa, a break away faction of Boko Haram fed the world to a gruesome detail of its unjustified execution of Christians in its captivity. Though President Buhari appealed to Nigerians not to allow the senseless extremists divide us. But I am of the view that the President should go beyond appeal and go all out to destroy the extremists. They should be completely annihilated this year.”
He also urged President Buhari to embrace pluralism in his government noting that, “A situation where the National Security Council is said to be composed of 98% of people from one part of the country and all of them belonging to the same faith does not do justice to our heterogeneity as a nation.”
The cleric said the only way Buhari could prove critics wrong is by making those who work with him come from different parts of the county as against the present lopsidedness in the various appointments.
He then called on Buhari to ensure there is no sacred cow in his fight against corruption. He expressed worries at the recent approval of N37 billion in the budget for the renovation of the National Assembly; urging that such approval should be re-evaluated.
The CAC president also warned against further loans if the loans are not for functional use in terms of creating jobs and developing our economy. “I will support the loan, if the government intends to spend the loan to start income-yielding projects that would further create employment for our teaming army of unemployed, I support the loan proposal. Our experience in the past was that the loans taken were not spent on any specific projects. It therefore became a burden. But if the President can guarantee us that the proposed loan would be spent on specified projects that would yield income and easily pay itself, I support it wholeheartedly.
On the other hand, if the loan is not dedicated to any specific, viable projects, I would join my voice with those who have expressed their fear for the proposed loan. In the interest of the future of this country, the President should not take the loan. To take such loan not attached to specific viable projects would mortgage the future of the unborn generation, because they would be the one to face the burden of payment.”
Earlier in the statement the church leader said the year 2020 would experience the emergence of men of the Biblical Issachar who understood the time. He reasoned that such men would be able to combat the various crimes that have bedeviled Nigeria as a country.
He counseled Nigerians to evaluate their relationship with God, repent of un-confessed sins, forgive and release any and all offenses if they are serious about receiving the plan of God for their lives.
He also called for fervent prayers for Nigeria in 2020 adding also that Nigerians should love their neighbours, do unto others what you want them to do to you and engage in decent business if they are to get to the expected land God promised them.”