Church urges FG to build new refineries
Leaders of the Cherubim & Seraphim Unification Church of Nigeria, yesterday, advised the Federal Government against worsening hardship and poverty of Nigerians by increasing the pump price of petroleum products.
The cleric warned that the proposed deregulation of the downstream sector of the oil industry, which would lead to the removal of fuel subsidy, would not only increase hardship and poverty among Nigerians but also affect the country’s economy.
Supreme Head of the church, Prophet Solomon Adegboyega Alao, who spoke on behalf of the C & S leaders during a media briefing in Lagos to herald the yearly general conference of the church, said it was unfortunate that Nigerians were yet to benefit from the blessings of God as an oil-producing nation.
He wondered why the country kept importing fuel at exorbitant costs and exporting crude oil at low price.
The conference with the theme: Preserving The Sanctity Of C & S Basics, will be hosted by the C & S in Oyo State between January 27 and January 30, 2022.
Alao stressed that the time had come for Nigerians to ask the government why it had refused to build new refineries, but kept wasting taxpayers’ money on repairing the moribund Port Harcourt and Kaduna refineries.
“If the pump prices of petroleum products increase, there will be hyperinflation and the consequences will include an increase in transportation fare, increase in prices of consumables, reduction in purchasing power of Nigerians, reduction in workforce by companies and increased unemployment, all of which will trigger more insecurity,” he said.
The church also advised the National Assembly to expedite action on the amended Electoral Bill to ensure credible elections in 2023, saying: “If almost a year to the February 18, 2023, general elections, the law that will guide the conduct of that election has not been passed, Nigerians should be worried about the lawmakers’ intention with regard to the elections.”
He warned that as good as it seemed, the drones being deployed to fight terrorism, in the North East, should not “accidentally bomb Christian-dominated settlements.”
Alao charged the Federal Government to allow pastoral farming to remain a private business like other businesses and forget about creating grazing routes and that state government should be careful in releasing land for such business.
