The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), yesterday, bemoaned the economic situation in Nigeria and called on the government to take drastic steps to save “crying and agonizing” Nigerians from hardship.
The fellowship particularly pointed out the falling value of the country’s currency, worsening insecurity, the dilapidated health sector, the lack of a national carrier and other forms of rot in the country.
The leadership of the fellowship, led by its national president, Bishop Francis Wale Oke, and others, during a press briefing at PFN national secretariat along Airport Road, Lagos, to unveil the programme for the 40th anniversary event, urged the federal government to listen to the cries of the people.
According to Oke, “There is serious hunger in the land. The government should fix the economic problems in the country and address, strictly, the issue of our currency. When you devalue people’s currency, it affects their lifestyle and purchasing power. The naira has been reduced to an embarrassing state.”
He further advised that, “The government should tackle the issue of corruption at all levels. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and other relevant anti-corruption agencies should be strengthened and not be willing tools in the hands of politicians.
“Government should also tackle the issue of unemployment and address the issue of Almajiris and street urchins. The government should stop giving people handouts . What it needs is to empower the people, because money cannot bring them out of poverty. It is only empowerment that can bring the people out of poverty
“As a matter of urgency, the government should address the issue of our health sector. There is no need of government and political office holders travelling abroad if they build standard hospitals in the six geopolitical regions of the country. Our best doctors are leaving our country because of dearth of infrastructure and for greener pastures.
“Government should also pump money into our educational sector. If you go round the country, you see students and pupils in schools, learning under trees and shanties. The government should squarely address the issue of our education. The best gift that we can give our children is education.
“Our government must also attend to the issue of our transportation system. Our roads should be fixed. Our railways should be fixed and functional. I wonder why Nigeria does not have a national carrier as done in other countries. Nigeria should by now be operating a national carrier.”
He also noted that there have been calls for the independence of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). If INEC is independent, they won’t be puppets in the hands of the government, as the saying goes: “Who pays the piper, dictates the tune.”
Another clergyman, Bishop Joseph, noted that the country would have been in a worse situation if not for the intervention of PFN and its prayers.
He averred that the problems in the country were more spiritual than political and they require God’s intervention. He urged citizens to pray for the nation.
He equally justified the high school fees charged by private universities, owned by members of the PFN, saying that the economic situation in the country necessitates such fees.
He said, “These are not kangaroo schools. if they are tuition-free, how will they maintain the facilities and pay fees? There are professors in those schools and they are well paid. What affects the generality of the country affects the church. We buy from the same market.”
The Lagos State chairman of PFN, Yemi Davies, also noted that the churches were doing a lot of things to ensure that indigent members of the church can afford such schools.
He, however, noted that such efforts to assist members to fund such education are not in the public domain as they are meant to protect the self-esteem of the beneficiaries.
On the 40th anniversary of PFN, Bishop Wale Oke disclosed that the celebration was all about celebrating the existence and future of the PFN.
According to him, the theme of the celebration, “PFN: yesterday, today and tomorrow,” will kick off on the 19th of October with a thanksgiving service and awards across the states of the federation and end on the 28th of October, 2025, with a ground-breaking ceremony for the PFN Legacy Place in Abuja, to establish a lasting heritage for future generations.
