Anglican Church, Afe Babalola task Tinubu on fiscal policies

Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) has charged the Federal Government to review its fiscal policies, stressing that they do not support economic growth.

In a communiqué issued at the end of its standing committee meeting held from February 5-9 at the Cathedral Church of Ascension, Boji-Boji Owa, Diocese of Delta State, and read to journalists by the Archbishop, Metropolitan and Primate, Most Reverend Henry Ndukuba, in Abuja, the church lamented that spiralling inflation has negatively impacted prices of food and left Nigerians hungry.

Ndukuba advised the current administration to rethink its penchant for borrowing and diversify the economy by “harnessing our abundant natural resources.”

While challenging security agencies to effectively tackle the rising attacks in parts of the country, Ndukuba noted: “Nigeria is facing socioeconomic, security and even political challenges. Families are in deep pain and threat. Workers’ salaries are not even enough to fuel their cars for one week, not to talk of other basic needs. Cost of living, generally, has gone beyond the reach of an average Nigerian. Hyper-inflation has messed up the value of the currency, and that has affected the purchasing power of Nigerians.

“It is time for political leaders to rise up and do the needful to avoid total collapse of the system that could result in anarchy. Religious leaders should quit deceiving the people, but stand on the side of truth.”

He implored the government to heed calls for community policing and impressed on the National Assembly to give the initiative a legal backing.

On the recent pronouncement by Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, that a religious sect was laundering money for terrorists, the cleric demanded exposure of the culprit.

ALSO, founder of Afe Babalola University Ado Ekiti (ABUAD), Afe Babalola (SAN), has counselled President Tinubu to seek advice from ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo on how he got debt cancellation from Paris Club.

He also urged him to investigate the borrowed trillions of Naira and their use.

Babalola made the appeal at the weekend during the sixth induction of the 2023 graduation set of the institution’s medical students, consisting of 161 medical doctors, at Ado-Ekiti.

The medics graduated at 100 per cent pass rate in their final examination, 12 got distinctions, while the overall best graduating student made five distinctions.

He said: “We are one of the heaviest debtors in the world. Let us investigate how we incur trillions as debt. What did we use the money for? I can assure you that the money is in the pockets of some people.

“Let us call on Obasanjo again to advise President Bola Tinubu on how he went about seeking debt forgiveness. He went round to tell the creditors to reduce the indebtedness, and they did. “