The Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) Supreme Council, Nigeria and Overseas, urged President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday to promptly address what they described as severe hardship currently being faced by Nigerians due to the removal of petrol subsidies by the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led administration during his inauguration as president on May 29.
They also criticised the manner in which the fuel subsidy was removed without prior measures to cushion its cumulative effects on the citizenry and the nation’s economy.
During the opening ceremony of the annual pastors’ conference in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, the general secretary of the CAC Supreme Council, Nigeria and Overseas, Pastor David Udofia, addressed journalists and tasked the Federal Government to urgently implement policies and intervention programmes capable of alleviating the suffering of the downtrodden and other categories of Nigerians.
He said, “The citizens of the country are facing hardship. We are in a very serious situation now. The presidential election is still being challenged in the Supreme Court. However, we will continue to play our role as a church by praying for the peace of the country and its people.
“We will intensify our intercession for Nigeria as a nation. The Federal Government needs to address the issue of fuel subsidy removal. The way the fuel subsidy removal was introduced, in our opinion, was rather harsh. If it is a good policy, as the government has been saying, they should have put measures in place before yanking off the subsidy.
“People are really suffering, and if there is any message we want to pass now, it is to let them know that the masses are suffering. When you are in Abuja or Aso Rock, you may not know that people are suffering and dying. I believe there are better ways of providing palliative care than giving out bags of rice.
“The government should offer services that will make lives easier for the citizens, such as subsidised mass transit. The government should invest in projects and programmes that will improve the lives of the people.
“Funds realised from the removal of fuel subsidies should be invested in programmes and policies that can drive the economy and create opportunities for our people. We have non-functional refineries, and gasoline is the lifeblood of our economy. Steps must be taken to address this issue,” Udofia emphasised.
However, while commenting on the factional crisis rocking the church, the cleric, who expressed concern, noted that all attempts to reconcile warring groups within the CAC from the onset of the tussle failed due to the insincerity of the church leadership.
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