Akinde urges Nigerians to hold elected leaders accountable

Archbishop of the Ecclesiastical Province of Lagos, Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion and the Bishop of Lagos Mainland, Most Revd. Adebayo Akinde has urged Nigerians to demand accountability from the nation’s elected leaders.

Akinde made the call yesterday at the media chat to announce the 1st session of the 4th Synod of the Diocese of Lagos Mainland due to start on Thursday, May 26, 2016 at Cathedral of St. Jude, Ebute-Metta, Lagos, to Sunday, May 29.

Speaking on the theme: “Thy Hand O God, has guided,” Akinde lamented that politicians as soon as they get into power, no longer remember those that voted them.

“Time has come when electorates will stand and fight for themselves by demanding accountability from political leaders, who by the time they get into their offices begin to fend for themselves, amass wealth at the expense of those that gave them their votes,” he added.

The archbishop said, “It was a paradox that today, the cost of governance is ridiculously high, while the masses are wriggling in abject poverty, as if they are the ones now serving those that they voted into offices.”

He lamented that our government shares the proceeds from oil, whereas there is oil in America and the proceeds are not shared.

Akinde said it was time for Nigeria to return to the good old days when we had palm oil from the east, groundnut from the north, cocoa from the west.

By that arrangement, he said, government can then spend revenue generated from oil to develop the nation by giving us good roads, water, electricity and putting in place other infrastructures.