God will heal and restore Nigeria to its rightful place — Ositelu

The Primate of the Church of the Lord, Worldwide, the Most Rev. Rufus Okikiola Ositelu, has called on government to intensify efforts on its fight against corruption in the New Year.

He made the call, while delivering his New Year message at Ogere Remo, Ogun State.

The Primate urged government to establish a National Hall of Shame for those found guilty of corruption, saying such move would serve as a deterrent to those intending to be corrupt in office.

The cleric noted that 2020 will be a year of regret, shame and sorrow for the wicked, and that Nigerians should move closer to God, aside embracing godly lifestyle as a way of escaping God’s wrath.

Citing Proverbs 14:34, he said winning the fight against corruption is cardinal, if the people must make progress and develop as a nation.

Ositelu urged government to seriously pursue its diversification policy, saying if properly implemented and adequately harnessed, the country’s economy will greatly improved, especially in the agricultural and mineral sectors.

He also called for the provision of infrastructure, improved power supply, security and healthcare, as well as hastening work on the ongoing railway projects, while pursuing the policy of ‘Ease of Doing Business’ more vigorously.

He said: “Government should give fiscal federalism due consideration, as it is a major antidote to our challenges. Regional/zonal, state and community police should beef up security at all levels to maintain peace and unity in the country.

“All forms of Gender Based Violence (GBV) should be tackled through appropriate legislations in line with the United Nations convention. Of equal importance are the issues of youth employment and women empowerment.”

Commending government for the N-Power, school feeding programmes, provision of grants and interest-free loans, he called for constant review of these programmes for better results and impacts.

The Primate warned against favouring one religious group over the other, saying Nigeria is a secular state, and government should maintain that policy on religious matters.

He also cautioned against disobedience to court rulings, as this could lead to anarchy and chaos in the polity.

He assured that God would heal and restore Nigeria to its rightful place in the comity of nations.