Founder of the Foundation of Truth Assembly, Segun Kasali, has appealed to the government to play a more proactive role in poverty alleviation, recommending tax breaks for corporations committing significant resources to welfare programmes.

This is as he appealed to churches to shift their focus from ostentatious displays of wealth to addressing the pressing issue of poverty affecting a significant majority of their congregants.

Speaking yesterday to intimate journalists on the Church’s Giant Killer 2025 conference, tagged: ‘The stone and the slingshot,’ to be held this month, Kasali expressed concern over the stark contrast between the lavish lifestyles of some church leaders and the economic hardship faced by many church members, noting that 75 per cent of church attendees are poor.

Kasali drew parallels with recent events in Nepal, warning that no country was immune to social revolution, and cautioned that Nigeria could face similar upheaval if poverty is not addressed.

“If this happens in Nigeria, people like us can be killed. They will think all wealthy men are criminals, that all wealthy men are corrupt,” he stated, expressing fear for the safety of affluent individuals perceived as disconnected from the struggles of the poor. He emphasised the government’s primary responsibility in addressing poverty.

“If we fail to fix poverty, poverty will fix us. And when poverty fixes man, he will swallow us up. It comes like a tsunami. Because when the poor are pushed to the wall, it comes like a tsunami to eat up those who have oppressed them for years.”