From Ifeoma Ejiofor
The Spiritual Head, Soul Revival Outreach, Nnewi, Anambra State, Prophet Iyke Uzukwu has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to as a matter of national urgency address the issue of cost of living in the country.
Prophet Uzukwu who was speaking with journalists in Nnewi noted that the issue of high cost of living among the citizens is highly connected to high cost of pump price of petroleum products.
He expressed worry that months after the president said that certain Nigeria owned refineries will be working yet no success has been recorded in that direction.
“Dear President, you promised that some of our refineries will commence operations by December 2023 and others in early 2024 but till the end of March, none has started functioning.
“And you have not told Nigerians why they are not working and we should now expect them to start functioning,” he said.
Prophet Uzukwu also tasked the president to address the high rate of abandoned goods at Lagos Wharf and other places.
He said that the custom officers have been threatening to auction people’s goods and cars especially, because of failure of owners to clear them which according to him is not the best.
“Many importers can not clear their goods because the import duties are too high, the greatest service President Tinubu will do to the people is to reduce the import duties so that people can easily clear their goods.
“The uncleared goods at the nation’s ports are responsible for the high cost of the goods in the market. He should also consider reduction of electricity tariffs which has jumped from N66 to N246, this is to say the least outrageous.
“Over 70% of factories and companies are folding up on the account of this. Many people are ruining away from Nigeria through hook or crook means, just to escape the present reality in the country occasioned by high cost of living and untold hardship.
“Nigeria is in darkness, companies cannot afford to be running their heavy duty equipments on power generators, some banks run their generator from 10.00am to 3.00pm, some don’t even work at all once there is no power supply. This is a very big national disgrace.
“Government at all levels are put in place to make life easier for the people, the previous administrations borrowed all the billions of dollars yet the nation is still bedeviled by all known features of underdevelopment,” he observed.
The Spiritual Head of Soul Revival Outreach urged the president to apprehend those in charge of taking loans for the nation noting that Nigerians are tired of endless stories of authority stealings.
“If there is a probe of past leaders and there is consequence for corruption, Nigeria will move forward, people who sincerely want to serve their fatherland would have find their ways to the position of authorities contrary to the present situation where looters are being circulated in power.
“The ‘your sins are forgiven’ once you join the ruling political party should be discarded henceforth, people should be made to take responsibility for their actions and inactions.
“EFCC should start chasing looters the same way they are chasing Yahoo boys, once Yahoo boys are caught, they are immediately jailed, looters should be given the same treatment. Yahoo boys use phone and laptops to defraud their victims while people in the corridors of power embark on authority stealing using pen and office stamps to loot.
“Those embarking on authority stealing using pen and paper are the worst criminals who are more dangerous than armed bandits. There should be consequence for such looting. If there is consequence for authority stealing in the last fifty years, Nigeria would have been a better place,” he stressed.
Prophet Uzukwu pointed out that in China which is one of the most successful country in trading and technology, and one of the richest nations in the world, authority stealing attracts death penalty.
He said said trillions of dollars have been embezzled since Nigeria’s independence which he noted is the reason the country is in the present mess.
“I appeal to the media, religious bodies, civil societies and other stakeholders to commence serious campaigns against authority looting, the idea of clapping for duty bearers when they become suddenly rich is counterproductive”, he asserted.