By Demilade Michael
The President, Ogun Baptist Conference, Rev. Dr. Wale Oyeniyi has called on President Bola Tinubu -led federal government to as a matter of urgency begin the repair of the nation's refineries, as part of measures to address the current hardship being exprence by Nigerians as a result of recent fuel subsidy removal.
According to Rev. Oyeniyi, who said this while addressing newsmen in Abeokuta, as part of activities to usher in the 46th Edition of Conference in Session of the Ogun Baptist Conference, said Nigeria as one of the largest producers of petroleum in the world, has no reason to import fuel for local consumption.
He said, "there is no need for subsidy in the first place, talkless of removing it. What the government should have done is to ensure that our refineries are working. We do not need to import fuel for local consumption".
"For the records, the Federal Government claimed to have been spending about N40.1 billion daily, subsidizing petrol consumed in Nigeria. It means the government spends about N1.24 trillion on fuel subsidy monthly. Furthermore, subsidizing fuel usually increases fuel diversion to neighbouring countries and smuggling by corrupt government officials".
On the fight against corruption, he said, "Ogun Baptist Conference joins the present government in the war against corruption. We condemn totally any acts of stealing and any form of corruption in our land".
"We appeal to the government to ensure that the recovered money will not be re-looted but injected back into the economy of the country to enable citizens enjoy the benefits of democracy".
"I will like to see a war on corruption that is total, comprehensive and holistic. Regardless of the political party, the corrupt person might belong to, such a person should be apprehended and tried in the law court".
Speaking on the state of insecurity in the country, Rev. Oyeniyi charged President Buhari to take the issue of security very serious, saying that security is very central and pivotal to issues of development, describing it as the bedrock of peace and development in any nation.
"The new administration should confront objectively the base of insurgency, banditry. kidnapping, unprovoked killings, so that farmers can confidently go to their farms, travellers can go about their businesses without any fear, rural and city dwellers can sleep with both eyes closed".
"Justice must also be seen to be served to apprehended culprits. This will bring about trust, healing, and confer credibility on the fight against insecurity. Truly, if and when this and much more is done, creativity and innovation will surge. Investors, both local and foreign, would be confident to invest in the system. The economy would thereby heave a sigh of relief. The teeming population of our youth would be more meaningfully
engaged; because peace and stability would reign in the land".
While congratulating Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun over his assumption of office for second term in office and the successes recorded so far in transforming the state, Rev. Oyeniyi, pledged the
Church's continued cooperation with him.
He called for the prompt payment of all deductions from state workers' salaries.
He renewed his call for the return all Mission Schools to their original owners especially in the State, promising that the mission will surely take care of these Schools more than what the government is doing for the schools currently.
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