- From Priscilla Ediare, Ado Ekiti
Prophet Ade Ologbonyo, the planter, Christ Apostolic Church, BOANERGES Worldwide, has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for removing subsidy on fuel, saying the president started off well with the step.
The cleric who called on Nigerians to exercise patience with the Tinubu- led administration, said the step suggested that the new president will toe the right path and his government will do the right thing.
The prophet also called on Nigerians to always make positive confessions about Nigeria, and pray for her leaders and the country as a whole.
Ologbonyo made the call at a press conference heralding the weeklong 14th-anniversary celebration of the ministry in Ise/Orun Ekiti, Ekiti State, where he appealed to the federal government to come up with measures that will cushion the effects of the subsidy removal on the people.
According to the man of God, the programme will feature praise night, couples summit, and free health mission and will attract ministers of God like Prophet Isaac Olu Eyebiokin, Pastor Anu Ojo, Pastor Gideon Oladokun, Prophet Sam Olu Alo, Lady Evang. Bisi Alawiye among others.
He said, “We should not expect magic from the new President, but I think he has taken the right step by removing the fuel subsidy.
“It is a perfect step by any Nigerian leader that will do right. Nigerians just need to be patient a little and government too needs to keep negotiating and come up with palliatives to ease the impacts of the fuel subsidy on the people.
“I think if we are patient with this new government, I think their body language is telling us that we have hope, it is not politics, so let’s keep praying for them.”
With the subsidy removal resulting in a hike in fuel price which has brought anguish on Nigerians as the prices of goods and services, food items, and others have skyrocketed, Ologbonyo advised the government that the palliatives should start from the civil servants with the upward review of their salaries saying, if their salaries are jerked up the effects of the fuel price increase on them would be lessened.
“This will increase their purchasing power, the money will trickle down to others within the society.
“Also, the government should come up with an economic policy that will stop traders and service providers from increasing prices of goods and services by 100 per cent whenever there are fuel issues.
“Let there be a price control policy and a policy that will help the government to monitor the activities of market women and other traders thereby stopping them from charging outrageous prices for their goods and services in order not to bring hardship to the masses.
“For instance, when President said in his inaugural speech that the fuel subsidy is gone, almost all petrol stations across the country, including Ekiti State, immediately shut their stations and refused to sell to the people but later started selling at unauthorized prices.”
So, the first thing we need to do for the new government is to pray for them, that God should guide them right. Like in the second stanza of our national anthem said, “Guide our leaders right, help our youth the truth to know.”
Ologbonyo who lamented the disunity and division among the people of the country and the security situation, advised the Tinubu- led government to ensure that the people of the country are united and prioritize the security of lives and property of the people.
“We are separated and divided already. He must bring the country back together. The Hausas shouldn’t see themselves as Hausas, ditto Igbos and Yorubas. We should all see ourselves as Nigerians first, forgetting our tribes and ethnic groups and where we are from.
“Secondly, Mr President should prioritize the security of lives and properties. It is the primary responsibility and first assignment of every responsible government. Nobody should be going about with the police and bodyguard in a society that is safe but some people can’t do without this because of the security situation in our country. Security is important because people should be able to sleep with their two eyes closed.
“He should as well work hard to fix the country’s economy which is in shambles. Since the fuel subsidy has been removed, palliatives should follow immediately to reduce its harsh effect on the people.”
The cleric who recently embarked on an evangelical tour of Europe said he visited a ministry of the church in the United Kingdom. He was also at a Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) in Dusseldorf, Germany on invitation.
Ologbonyo added that he went to Rochester to make findings on his research work on what will become of African churches in the next 200 years.
“The Rochester church, with a tourist centre which has been existing for over 2000 years was my case study. In this ministry, we have what I called “project 100″ The vision came about six years ago, where will CAC BOANERGES be in the next hundred years? We have to plan ahead. So, if am no more, whoever comes in will continue from wherever I stopped on the same project so that they will not deviate from the primary purpose of this calling.”
Speaking on July 7, Abuja celebration, he said “It is to appreciate God for sparing his life and that of members of his congregation when on July 7, 2017, herdsmen attacked them with guns.
“I made a promise that every July 7 of every year we will be glorifying God for 24 hours.”