PFN states position on Nigerian economy, security, others

• “When we voted in President Buhari, we had already paid ransom… “

The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) has expressed grave concern about the economic situation of the country and it has urged the Federal Government to rise and put the economy back on the path of growth and development.

The advice came just as the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) released the consumer price index, (CPI) which measures inflation and said that it increased by 18.17 per cent (year-on-year) in March 2021. This is 0.82 per cent points higher than the rate recorded in February 2021(17.33 per cent).

According to NBS, “Increases were recorded in all Consumer Individual Corruption by Purpose (COICOP) divisions that yielded the Headline index. On month-on-month basis, the headline index increased by 1.56 per cent in March 2021.”

The leadership of PFN, led by its President, Bishop Francis Wale Oke at a press briefing in Lagos after its National general meeting, advised the Federal Government to put more efforts at addressing the fast-deteriorating economic situation of the country.

According to the body who touched on many issues affecting the country, the issue of agriculture should be further encouraged and that Nigerians should produce what they eat as a nation.  “If we are all about importing everything, we are only going to continue to be slaves to other economies. We should limit our imports to very essential items. Government should also provide environment that encourages production and employment”, PFN advised.

It said the current situation whereby one USA dollar is exchanged for about N490 should not be and that whatever the country should do to shore-up the value of the local currency should be pursued in earnest.

Having congratulated the Muslims for the successful beginning of the Ramadam, the body urged Muslims to prevail on the Boko Haram sect whose activities it said has been trying to negate the belief that Islam is a religion of peace. “Islam is said to be a religion of peace, we are not disputing that, but Boko Haram is trying to blackmail the religion and Muslim leaders should not allow this to happen”, PFN pleaded.

Speaking further on the security challenge, PFN said that every Nigerian should be genuinely concerned about the security situation in the country. “We want to challenge the Federal Government to rise to the challenge of rising to its responsibility of protecting the whole nation. Security Chiefs should not only talk the talks, the must work the talks. Government should not, in any way negotiate with killers, instead it should let the full weight of the law falls on them, nothing more.”

On whether the Federal should pay ransom to kidnappers to free the captured, PFN president said someone whose family is kidnapped and asked to pay something for kidnapped person to be freed, may not want to listen to don’t pay plea, “but in the real sense of it, there should not be payment of ransom. Government should make unnecessary to pay for ransom. When we voted in President Buhari, we had already paid ransom, we have already paid ransom by paying the salaries of the Service Chiefs. So, there should not be need for anyone to pay ransom again”.

Speaking on the President travelling for medical check up abroad, PFN said it will continue to pray for better health for the President, but raised the fear on security implications of entrusting the life of the President to the hands of foreign medical experts. It also expresses the concern that the nation is not being told the whole truth about the health situation of the President.

Government should try and pay more attention to our health care system to the extent that even the President should be treated here if there is any health challenge. We have the experts; all we need is the provision of facilities that would enable them function well.

Responding to the question on Christian participation in coming 2023 general election in Nigeria, PFN said over 65 million Pentecostals in Nigeria will be involved in the election, not only to pray, but to vote and be voted for. We are ready to be more involved”.

Picture caption:

PFN President, Bishop Francis Wale Oke flanked to the right by the body’s National Deputy President, Archbishop JohnPraise Daniel and to his left, National Secretary, Dr. Cosmos Ilechukwu during the press briefing.