Diocesean Anglican Bishop of Owo, Ondo State, Bishop Stephen Ayodeji Fagbemi has told President Bola Tinubu that restructuring and returning to true federalism should be among his top priorities to ensure Nigeria regains its past glory.
In what he termed an agenda for the new government, the Anglican Bishop listed six core areas the president must address frontally to rekindle hope in the citizens and redeem the country.
His admonition was contained in a ‘Charge’ at the 14th Synod of the Diocese of Owo, in which he called for a paradigm shift from an era of politics of deception that characterised the election into the office of former President Muhammadu Buhari into power for two terms of four years each.
According to the cleric, “The agenda for change and speedy development of Nigeria must include restructuring and true federalism, economic transformation, security and employment in order for poverty to be reduced and life enhanced for the masses,” Bishop Fagbemi stated.
Another urgent issue the president must tackle, the bishop said, was brain drain, coupled with the Japa syndrome, which has grave implications for the country.
“There is no doubt that the rate at which competent and skilled professionals, especially young people are leaving Nigeria, can lead to brain drain unless it is urgently addressed.
While it is healthy that some of our people will benefit from living in another part of the world from where they can come to help us in the near future; it is more honest to admit that the way it is happening now is not only alarming and scary but very shameful.
“Things are bad and the government is not making, working or living in Nigeria attractive for the upcoming generation of young people.
“Unfortunately, we are already finding that the experts who possess the required experience to offer significant service to our people are leaving while we are helpless.
A visit to our hospital and many government and private establishments will substantiate this point. This is dangerous.
“The solution is for the government to wake up and address the issue squarely so that those who choose to leave will do so not out of compulsion, frustration, hopelessness or desperation, the reasons people are leaving now.”
Observing that the president started on a ‘very difficult subject’ by deregulating the pump price of petrol, Fagbemi accused the past political leadership of playing politics of deceit, despite the fact that oil subsidy constituting the “a monster tormenting Nigeria and its people for ages.”
According to him, “We have heard variant messages about this over the years. Before the Buhari administration got into power, they even told us that there was no subsidy at all, let alone something to remove.
They also argued that petrol could even sell for N40. Yet, when they got to power, they started increasing the pump price of petroleum commodities.
“Sadly, at the end of their eight years rule, they told us that there was still a subsidy to remove. It was the highest point of deceit for the Nigerian masses.
It is were to be elsewhere, it was sufficient enough for them to have lost re-election. Yet, President Muhammadu Buhari was re-elected for another four years before finally leaving office this May 2023.
He expressed serious concern about the attendant hardship on the masses, following the subsidy removal, reminding President Tinubu, state governors and other top government functionaries of the need to factor in the welfare of other Nigerians not captured in the civil and public service in putting in place palliative measures, adding: “We plead for honesty by our government and openness so that no one is left in the dark about what needs to be done to move Nigeria forward.
On the war against sleaze, the cleric said: “I plead that the new government will put an end to official deception of the masses of Nigeria. Even in the name of political campaigns, politicians must stop deceiving us in order to get to power.
Nigerians deserve the best from their leaders, and we pray that our government will strive to do this. It is only then that we can move towards the reduction of corruption.”
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