Recession: Concerted effort needed to pull Nigeria out —CAN president

THE national president of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Reverend (Dr) Samson Ayokunle, has said it will take concerted effort from every Nigerian to take the country out of its present economic recession.

This is just as he called on government to expedite action to ensure that Nigeria is pulled out from its doldrums.

Speaking at the thanksgiving service in his honour at the CAN headquarters in Abuja, Reverend Ayokunle, who tasked government to buckle up, regretted that many Nigerians are suffering.

According to him, “we will continue to tell our leaders to do what is right and let them know, because we are very close to the grassroots. We see church members everyday. We understand their pains; we understand that many of them haven’t received salaries for the past seven months, and have wives, husbands and relatives to take care of.

“Government should buckle up. It is not the time of complaining.

“Government is the last resort for the people and they are the ones managing the national purse. So, they should not chicken out. They should face it courageously. We know tough times don’t last, but tough people do.

“I will encourage all Nigerians to be hopeful. The solution is not by committing suicide, depression or anger. The economic problem is not in Nigeria alone; it is also in some other parts of the world. But we want to kick it out of Nigeria and with concerted effort, we will all get there.

“Let us change our attitude to work as well. People don’t want to work, but want to, while away time. You cannot earn salary when you are not adding value,” he said.

“So, the theology of work must change; hard work is what is going to lead those nations from the economic problems which they found themselves.”

While commending the government of the successes it has recorded in fighting Boko Haram, the CAN president also urged the government to extend the fight to the Fulani herdsmen and armed robbery.

“Government is fighting insurgency, they should continue to fight them, they should not give up until the battle is won and insurgency is not Boko Haram alone, the should fight the menace of Fulani herdsmen.

“They should also fight the menace of armed robbery and kidnapping, every form of violence must be subdued in this nation, let the government diversify their focus, not only on Boko Haram but on others that are eating very deep into the fabrics of our society”, he added.