AKINWALE ABOLUWADE
The Nigerian Baptist Convention has advised the President Bola Tinubu-led administration, alongside the 36 state governors, and the 774 local government council authorities, with the six area councils, to spare no time any further in addressing the economic and security challenges besetting the country as the #EndBadGovernanceProtest continues.
The protest dominated by the Nigerian youths, with flashes of rage in Kano and a few places in Abuja and Niger states, enters Day 2 today (Friday) with protesters in Abuja and other parts of the country insisting that they would continue the actions despite the resistance they were allegedly being faced with.
In a personally signed Open Letter addressed to President Tinubu, dated August 1, Dr Israel Akanji, President of the Nigerian Baptist Convention, reeled out possible ways to overcome the challenges undermining the country’s progress to include job creation, cut in cost of governance, tightening of security, constant dialoguing with leading stakeholders and granting of incentives to farmers as well as investors.
The letter read in parts, “I bring you greetings during this hard time that we have found ourselves as a nation. In my Pastoral Letter to our Church (Nigerian Baptist Convention), I kept in obedience to the word of Jesus Christ that says: “First take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye” (Matthew 7:5).
“My submission was in the fear that the protest could be hijacked, which might lead to further possible disaster. I wish now to turn to our governments at all levels, through Your Excellency, on possible ways out of the present situation.
“The three tiers of the government have to accept and acknowledge the fact that there is hardship in the land and come up with realistic ways of leading the nation out of the problems. Government should be clearly seen to be appealing to the people of our country for more patience as they work assiduously to engage and ameliorate the hardship in the land. The current palliatives being released can be likened to a drop in the mighty ocean of our problems.
“Government should further address the security situation in the country with a view to returning farmers to their farms in order to curb food insecurity in the country. Government at all levels should mobilise our teaming youths with incentives to make farming attractive before the rainy season ceases. They should also assist directly in bringing back the culture of storing farm produce in the silos nationwide.
“Government should create employment and entrepreneurship opportunities for the teaming, intelligent and energetic youths of our country. Government should bring tax holiday and other incentives to the industrial and business sectors, particularly in order to bring back all small and big industries that had left the country. This will generate massive employment. Government should revisit the fuel subsidy removal by significantly reducing the current price of all fuel products in the country.
“Government should direct the Apex Bank to rescue the Naira from unending depreciation. No country allows her currency to fade away. Government at all levels should follow the footsteps of the House of Representatives that reduced the wages of its members. FEC should also do the same if the number of the cabinet cannot be reduced.
“The lifestyles of our political office holders should reflect the reality on ground in the nation in areas of emoluments and benefits. Governments at all levels should be carrying the traditional rulers, religious leaders and other stakeholders along, before introducing policies that can trigger protest.”
In addition, it urged governments at all levels to facilitate dialogue with stakeholders in order to douse the current tension in the country, and to always take early warning signals of danger seriously.
Emphasizing the danger of keeping silent when there is need to talk, Dr Akanji said that “If the cries and calls of the masses had been respected and given the urgent attention, we are not likely to get to the level we now have reached. Government must maintain constant communication with the people to explain situations and answer questions. It is expedient that government should speak to the people. The people are eager to hear.”
