Ashimolowo decries poverty level, tasks Govts on support for SMEs

As the Kingsway International Christian Centre (KICC) crusade, tagged, Christ Compassion to the Rural World (CCRW) ended yesterday, at Igbogbo Stadium, Ikorodu, Lagos, its Senior Pastor and initiator of CCRW, Matthew Ashimolowo has lamented the level of poverty in the land, describing the governments’ palliative as not the solution to the issue of poverty.

He is, therefore, calling on governments at all levels to create an enabling environment for small and medium term businesses to thrive. The cleric said that it is the only way for the country to overcome poverty in the society.

Ashimolowo said: “Honestly, palliative is not the answer, I think palliative is short term, I don’t call ours as palliative because the dictionary definition of palliative is something you give to a man who is sick as temporary relief. Ours is not that, ours is to bless. We are not government; we are here to show the compassion of Christ.

“Empower small and medium enterprises, that is the power of Nigeria. If you leave this Stadium now you will not see any house without a shop. Government calls that place setback, there is no set back, Nigerians are entrepreneurs.”

Ashimolowo urged governments to give Nigerians land and loan to enable them be effective in their businesses. According to him, “empower those small places, create a system whereby you give them land and loan and don’t say they will run, Nigeria knows how to trace you with your National Identity Number (NIN) and BVN. Therefore, create something that will make you trace small and medium enterprises, give them loan to do business.”

The clergy, who spoke to journalists at the Igbogbo Stadium where the church gave medical treatment to the residents of Igbogbo and its environs, stated that, “If you empower 10 million SMEs and hire five people each how many people are hired? That’s a lot of people. Then, long term industries must be encouraged.”

He argued that it is not easy to do business in Nigeria, stressing that those who said it is easy are liars. Ashimolowo said: “They say that Nigeria is a place where it is easy to do business, it is a lie. I’m 71, and can say what I like to say. I will be 72 in March and I have businesses in Nigeria. It is not easy to do businesses in Nigeria because you are harassed. Inland Revenue Service is harassing you, every week.
You are getting letter from the Federal Inland and local Inland Revenue. Every day they say they want to visit, but in the United Kingdom where I live it is not like that. They only visit where necessary once in five or 10 years, but here in Nigeria, they visit every time month.”

The senior pastor also urged the Federal Government to stop promoting few wealthy Nigerians who can only hire about 1,000 people but should encourage small businesses and empower them to succeed. According to him, that is the power of Nigeria.

The crusade witnessed so many personalities from within and outside the country, including the twin brothers from Ghana, Reverend Steve Mensah and his brother, whom Pastor Ashimolowo caught their vision on Christ’s compassion to the Rural world from. The two brothers commended the organiser of CCRW, Pastor Ashimolowo and called on other churches to emulate same from Ashimolowo.