- The Cleric lamented that despite the fact that majority of the resources that sustain Nigeria are located in the southern belt of the country, the region remains neglected in the distribution of infrastructural development
- Says in Nigeria, everything is concentrated in the hands of an oligarchy that has created a system for themselves
Matthew Ashimolowo, senior pastor of Kingsway International Christian Centre (KICC) has suggested recommendations on how President Bola Ahmed Tinubu can fix Nigeria and get the country out of its current challenges.
Ashimolowo, who was on a visit to the city office of The Sun Publishing Limited, Ikeja, Tuesday, said there were several disequilibrium in Nigeria as currently structured and advocated a total overhaul of the subsisting 1999 Constitution, restructuring and devolution of powers to the regions, and involvement of youths in politics.
He lamented that despite the fact that majority of the resources that sustain Nigeria are located in the southern belt of the country, the region remains neglected in the distribution of infrastructural development.
“Why should the South produce all the resources and a railway is built to Niger Republic when the South remains underdeveloped? It does not make sense. It is very clear and obvious that there is a disequilibrium. You cannot blame the person, who sees resources leaving his area and going somewhere else. There will be agitation and you cannot stop these agitations by mere military presence. Rather you empower them, create employment and systems in the area that will make the people stop the agitation.
“If I were the president or if I was to advise the president, my counsel would be not to just go to a place like Imo and start throwing bombs at people who are agitating. The first thing to do is to empower the people by creating industries, and then make them guardians of their own economy; you do not destroy what is your own land.
“You also have to change this system in Nigeria where you either go to Abuja or Lagos for work. In England, the Ministry of Works is in Stanford, the Ministry of Environment could be in Leeds, some other ministry could be in Kent. This means that every part of the nation has an equitable distribution. In Nigeria, everything is concentrated in the hands of an oligarchy that has created a system for themselves in just two small corners of the world.
“When there is employment and people have opportunities, it will change everything. Lastly, nothing that is feudal, tribal, and does not agree with modernity should be married with modernity. You cannot say cows should come and graze in my land when it is a private business. Let the owner of the cow create his own cattle ranch.”
He said religion, region and resource play important roles in Nigerian politics and lamented that Christians have failed to produce and sponsor a notable northern Christian that has the political influence to win elections to drive politics in Nigeria.
Ashimolowo said the Church in Nigeria has failed to fulfil its compassion to the needy, which is sacrosanct to the mission of the Church. “I think the compassion aspect of the Church is missing in Nigeria. I think we could do much more.”
He noted that he is embarking on a multi-million naira medical outreach and empowerment five-fold compassion crusade in Ikorodu, Lagos state that would involve empowering and treating 50,000 residents.
“The Compassion Crusade will be five-fold. The first is free surgery, we are bringing doctors and nurses, and our own equipment and we will do 200 to 300 surgeries, the patients would have to go home the same day. The second stage is a crusade, we want to believe that God has brought us to help people know Christ, we believe in miracles and we believe in restoration of lives. The third stage is giving food and other reliefs to 50,000 people. The fourth stage is a medical outreach, Igbogbo stadium Ikorodu will become a hospital, and we are paying 100 doctors, 100 pharmacists, 100 nurses, and other medical personnel to line up to test and treat the people. The crusade alone will cost us about N300 to 500 million.”
Ashimowo said he chose to hold the Compassion Crusade at Ikorodu because it is dear to him,
“Ikorodu is informed by the population, when I went to the seminary in Ikorodu, Foursquare Bible College 49 years ago there were 84, 000 people in Ikorodu, today there are over one million people in Ikorodu with 151 villages.”