National President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor has called on President Goodluck Jonathan and other elected and appointed public office holders to dedicate half of their salaries for one year to the poor.
The CAN President, who spoke during the 53rd Independence Anniversary Interdenominational Church Service on Sunday at the National Christian Centre in Abuja, said the move would build confidence in the country.
“The unemployment situation is bad. The situation is critical. People are jobless. I want to make a suggestion; and in making the suggestion, I want to look up to the heaven, that probably if all political office holders, both elected and appointed, will give half of their salaries for one year and put it in a dedicated account for the poor and let men and women of integrity run that account, it will build confidence in the society,” he said.
Oritsejafor also identified what he called terrible demonic sacrifices allegedly made by some people for wealth, political and spiritual powers as one of the nation’s problems.
“Nigeria is in the hands of God; no one has power over this nation. God is in control”, he said adding that “one of the things troubling this nation are terrible demonic sacrifices that men have made human sacrifices and life cow sacrifices for wealth an political powers.”
Oritsejafor, who announced the presence in the church of some of the victims of the Boko Haram insurgency, said about 10,000 Nigerian refugees, driven out of their country by what he described as “mad men” without dignity and respect for humanity, are currently in Cameroon.
He commended the efforts of security agencies and asked them to continue to collaborate to fight terrorism.
Oritsejafor also reserved praises for members of the Volunteer Vigilance Youth Groups (VVYG) popularly called civilian Joint Task Force (JTF) in Borno State, describing their efforts as a bold step even as he tasked northern leaders on the need to do more to contain insurgency in the region.
On the lingering faceoff between members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, and the Federal Government, The CAN President urged both parties to make concessions to bring the strike to an end, saying the Christian community, if allowed, is ready to “midwife” a solution to the dispute.
-Daily Trust
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