Clerics task Tinubu on tackling hardship, others

As the country celebrates its 64th Independence anniversary, religious leaders have urged the Federal Government to vigorously tackle food scarcity and health problems in the land.

The clerics applauded the government for doing well in some areas, such as education loans for students, but added that they should do more in the area of economy.

Former Chaplain of the National Ecumenical Centre in Abuja/Archbishop of the African Church Province of the North/Abuja, Dr Peter Ogunmuyiwa; Chief Missioner of Nasrul-lahi-l-fatih Society (NASFAT), Imam Abdul-Azeez Onike; Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Most Rev’d Alfred Adewale Martins, and Executive Director of Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), Prof. Ishaq Akintola, spoke with The Guardian.

Ogunmuyiwa said that palliative is not the answer to hardship but urged the Federal Government to tackle the economic problems from the root by subsidising in the area of food, power and health.

Onike, while urging Nigerians to be patient with President Bola Tinubu’s administration, said that the Federal Government is making serious efforts to ameliorate the hardship condition of Nigerians.

The Chief Missioner of NASFAT, who said he was optimistic that things would get better under President Tinubu’s administration, advised the government to address the issue of food, health and education. He also urged the government to sincerely reduce the cost of governance. Martins, who spoke through Godonu, urged all political leaders across the country to alleviate the sufferings of Nigerians.

Akintola, in a statement, tasked Nigerians to beam their searchlights on state governors in the country, saying that this will ensure a level playing ground in the search for transparency, probity and accountability, which will eventually lead to good governance. He, therefore, urged Nigerians to desist from mobilising agitations against the centre at all times.