Nigeria needs credible, intelligent, resourceful youths in ministries, agencies not old people- Bishop Nwokolo 

 Jeff Amechi Agbodo, Onitsha

Nwokolo who condemned the new policy on visa on arrival, said that he would only support it if the government has genuine plan to attract investors help to turn around some of the challenging situations in the country, rather than using back door to bring in Islamic fundamentalists.

The bishop who spoke to newsmen yesterday at bishop court in Onitsha saying that Ndigbo were under siege through many security agents checkpoints that litters the entire places in the southeast zone.

He said: “We need credible, intelligent, resourceful and talented people to man the ministries, departments and agencies but we been recycling the same old people who has done the country well. The youths are saying when are we going to be the leaders of tomorrow?, the question the youths are asking us is when are we going to be the leaders of this country?

“This is because we tell them that they are leaders of tomorrow, but it is the same people who have been leading yesterday are still leading tomorrow and they are not bringing any pragmatic change that will turn around the country. So, it’s a problem but as I said we all to be blamed because we cannot exonerate ourselves from the problem.

On new visa policy: “It is because of lack of trust in the leadership of the country, the doubts we have in the way they approach issues, because we don’t trust them. We feel that some of the policies they are bringing out is to favour the Islamic agenda and bringing unwanted people into the country.

“However, I feel that Nigeria is one of the countries that have very tough immigration policy, we hardly allow people to enter our country. Foreigners come here under stringent measures. What I’m saying is that we are yet to trust our leadership, most of their policies are not favourable. They have disappointed us in one way or the other but if not that, I would wish that we have mild immigration policy that allow foreigners to come and invest in our country who are genuine and not Boko Haram people.

“If the policy is to bring in investors that would come and help to turn around some of the challenging situations we have in the country, I will support the government but if it is a back door to bring in Islamic fundamentalists, it is a serious problem and we say no that. I also want the country to look into their immigration policy because it is making other nations to be very harsh to Nigerians especially when they travel.

On checkpoints: “Ndigbo are under siege, they type of dirty environment in which this checkpoint are being kept makes a mess of the whole thing as if our country is governed by illiterates and uncivilized persons, how they litter the road with woods that are not even smooth. They bring all manner of things and use it to block all our roads.

“They paint the country in a very bad light. We joined the rest of our people to condemn attitude of police and army in keeping checkpoints on our roads, it’s not good. It’s only in this country we see this type of checkpoints, police can monitor criminals from roadside, they can use aerial surveillance, weapon and communication gadgets to coordinate but coming to expressway and highways to block road is frustrating and condemnable” Bishop Nwokolo stated.