The Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, at the weekend charged the federal government to do what it can to get the country out of the present economic doldrums, stating that the church lacks the political and economic power to get the country out of the recession.
Speaking during the thanksgiving service and formal inauguration of the new CAN executives, its President, Dr. Samson Olasupo Ayokunle pointed out that what the church has is spiritual power through prayer, which they had already utilised by calling for national prayer to help the country.
The National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, had while announcing Nigeria’s slide into recession, stated that Nigeria’s economy in the second quarter of 2016, shrank by 2.06 percent to record its lowest growth rate in almost 30 years.
Ayokunle averred that it was the responsibility of the government to take the country out of recession, adding that “We will continue to speak to our national leaders to do what is right, and to let them know that, we are close to the grass root, we understand their pains.”
He continues, “Government should buckle up and know that it is not time to complain, government should know that it is the last resort for the people. Government is the one managing the national purse, so they should courageously address the economic challenges confronting the country and not chicken out.”
Speaking on the state of insecurity, the Christian leader said; “Government should continue to fight insurgency in the country; they should not give up until battle is won. Insurgency is not boko haram alone but also the menace of Fulani herdsmen, menace of armed robbery and kidnappers.
“Every form of violence must be subdued in this nation. Let the government diversify their focus, not only on boko haram but others that are hitting very deep into the fabric of our society.”
He went on to debunk media report that there is crisis in the association over his emergency as CAN President, pointing out that people tend to celebrate sycophancy.
The northern region of CAN was some months ago reported as rejecting the emergence of Ayokunle as CAN President , stating that “All the 19 Northern states were edged out of the process of the CAN President’s election. We suspect that there was connivance between the outgoing CAN President and some individuals at the helm of affairs of the association.”
Speaking on this, the CAN President said; “The political news you are carrying in the newspaper is quite different from what is happening in CAN, there is no amount of noise you can make, the service of today is an attestation to the fact that CAN is together.
“The challenge in this nation today is the challenge of standing firm for what is good. People don’t want to listen to what is truth, they only want you to praise them, they don’t want you to challenge them.
“In the society, the righteous does not have any value, we celebrate those that half naked and called them celebrities, but as Christians we hold it a duty to stand firm in season and out of season.”
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