A former governor of Imo State, Dr Ikedi Ohakim, at the weekend said the measures taken by President Bola Tinubu has helped to prevent the complete deterioration of the economy to an irretrievable point.
He made the disclosure while delivering a paper at the Synod of the Diocese of Orlu held at St. Mary’s Anglican Church, Amandugba in the Isu Local Government Area of Imo State at the weekend titled “Rebuilding Nigeria’s troubled economy: practical insight into the challenges and solutions.”
According to him, Nigeria was in a state of economic paradigm where it is characterised with economic difficulty caused by multiple factors.
He said, “The Tinubu administration has taken measures that, though painful, clearly prevented the complete deterioration of the national economy to an irretrievable point.
“Agreed, Nigerians are reeling under excruciating pains as a result of some of the measures but even though it is hard to sale, there can be no doubt that there is a brighter future ahead. The removal of fuel subsidy has freed money that was hitherto starched away by a few during the subsidy regime into the hands of the government,” Ohakim said.
Further, he said political restructuring, population control, rebuilding of rural economy were avenues to address Nigeria’s economic problems.
He said the government should create an enabling environment to address insecurity which will boost the agriculture sector.
The former governor warned that there was an urgent need to evolve a political agenda to address population growth warning that while population was increasing, Nigerians are still stuck with the same land mass, rivers, and eco-system.
He said: “Is this not frightening? Today, we are growing the number of people going to eat yam faster than we are producing tubers of yam. Irrespective of religious beliefs, population control must enter our political agenda. We must act now.”
He charged religious leaders to initiate practical ways to improve the economy and go beyond prayers and encourage people to work as against use productive hours for prayers to solve what God had empowered people to do.
Ohakim said “though the measures taken by the Tinubu administration to revamp the Nigerian economy are painful, as we have already identified, there is a need for us here at home to be more circumspect in appraising the administration’s efforts and performance and look at the bigger picture.
“We must play our roles individually and collectively. The church itself has a critical role to play given the enormous influence it wields; so that together, we would give the administration the support it needs to face these perennial, humongous and existential challenges confronting our country”, Ohakim said.
On his part, the Anglican Bishop of Orlu diocese, Rt. Rev. Benjamin Okeke called on people to live godly lives and shun the mad quest for wealth, even as he appealed to parents to raise godly children for God and the society.
The event was attended by several Anglican Church clerics from across the State, knights and ladies, scholars, amongst others.
