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The President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, on Wednesday, said despite all the security and economic challenges facing the nation, there is still hope and the country would rise from the current state of despair and pain to prosperity.
This was just as the Primate of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Henry Ndukuba, asked the Federal Government to find a lasting solution to the insecurity, fuel crisis, collapse of the educational system and inflation in the country.
Both Okoh and Ndukuba spoke in Abuja during the opening of the Church of Nigeria’s Standing Committee Meeting with the theme, ‘Your kingdom come, your will be done.’
The CAN President expressed sadness over the social injustice and other misfortunes bedevilling the country, but, expressed optimism that Nigeria would go the way of prosperous nations where there would be peace and hope for the citizens.
He said, “I say to you, it shall be well with you. And for your sake, it shall be well with our nation and the world. We will rise from the despair and pain of these perilous times, from the tragedies of insecurity and deprivations of our economic fortunes to a bright new day of abundance, prosperity and joy in the mighty name of Jesus.”
Earlier, he said all was not well with Nigeria, and urged the people to pray for the country, particularly Christians who are facing severe persecution on account of their faith.
Okoh said, “The Bible forewarned us about perilous times and I dare say that the perilous times are here with us. Insecurity, wickedness, murder, ritual killings, injustice, impunity, nepotism, persecution, economic woes and other misfortunes of unimaginable proportion have been unleashed like an evil avalanche on our nation. We are all scampering for fresh breath and safety.
“So, in these uncertain times, we shall continue to pray and wait for the coming of His kingdom; and even as we wait, those who believe in Jesus Christ will continue to do great exploits, just like you are doing today.”
Ndukuba, in his address, said it was saddening that Nigerians, unlike other oil-producing nations, could not benefit from increased oil prices despite the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries’ increase of her output quota.
“We call on the relevant authorities to expeditiously address this sharp fall in remittance by NNPC. We re-emphasise the urgent need for a lasting solution to the lingering abused fuel subsidies and persistent theft of our national oil infrastructure.
“Government must show the political will to curb this malaise and leverage on technology to protect these assets. We demand more transparency and accountability by the NNPC in the management of this key national wealth,” the Anglican Primate said.
He charged Nigeria’s monetary authority to utilise the necessary policy tools to stem inflation.
The cleric reiterated the need for the Central Bank of Nigeria to rise to its responsibility by defending the international value of the naira.
He said, “The great monster of corruption is endemic. As Christians, we must rise to make a difference in our nation. We certainly cannot afford to be accumulating debts capable of enslaving our future generations.”
Ndukuba decried the seeming collapse of the nation’s educational system, saying the future of the Nigerian youth is being jeopardised, adding that it was important for relevant authorities to address it.
“We encourage our dioceses to invest in the education of our people. The Church of God must rise to give quality education that is rooted in sound Christian faith and morals that will transform our society,” the cleric said.
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