By Olusegun Obisanya
His Most Eminence, Baba Aladura, eternal sacred order of the Cherubim and Seraphim Church, Dr. David Bob-Manuel has called on the Federal Government to frontally address economic issues raised during the recent protest embarked upon by aggrieved youth.
He spoke during a press conference where he unveiled Cherubim and Seraphim Church centenary logo, theme and theme song as well as the commemoration of Bob-Manuel’s 7th induction anniversary in Ikeja, Lagos recently.
He revealed that the church will be having her memorable centenary celebration on 9th September, 2025.
Bob-Manuel urged the federal, state and local governments to facilitate pragmatic and realistic dialogue with youth with a view to averting further protest and the situation that would snowball into total breakdown of law and order.
“Nigeria is a nation rich in diversity and resilience, but presently facing socio-economic crisis whereby millions are living under abject poverty with the burgeoning youth grappling with unemployment and are labelled as being lazy. There is incredibly high cost of living.
“Insecurity in the country has compelled farmers to abandon their farms for fear of bandits while criminality, ethnic and religious conflicts remain the clog in the wheel of progress of the country.
“While it remains government’s undeniable responsibility to fight insecurity to its knees and provide subsidised farming materials, promote industrialisation and create self-sustaining agro-business in the six geopolitical zones, we advise that modern technology be deployed to combat insecurity,” he posited.
While the cleric urged the government to facilitate repair of refineries in the country, he called on federal and state governments to implement a social welfare programme that would protect the vulnerable population.
Bob-Manuel added, “I implore the Federal and State Governments to urgently implement social welfare schemes that would protect the vulnerable population from the impact of higher fuel prices. This may be in the form of provision of subsidies for essential goods and improved transportation system, fertilizers to farmers, monetary transfers to the aged and vulnerable.”
Passionate about youth empowerment and employability, the Christian leader implored government to support modern farming and agribusiness to generate employment opportunities for young people that have shown interest in agriculture.
On economy, the cleric posited, “Unemployment remains a challenge in this country. Many of our youths are now into online fraud, armed robbery, kidnapping and all forms of social vices. One of the sectors that can provide millions of employments is the Agriculture Sector. Government should support modern farming practices and agrobusiness to generate employment in the rural areas.
“Furthermore, I implore the Government at all levels to improve the quality of education and vocational training programs in order to equip the youths with the relevant skills for the job market. I also encourage the Government to diversify the economy. Over reliance on oil exports has hindered growth of other sectors.
“The Government should promote the energy and manufacturing sectors, encourage innovation and technology-driven entrepreneurship which can create high-skilled jobs opportunities. Technology plays a crucial role in our modern society today.”
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