Judex Okoro, Calabar
The National Publicity Secretary of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Bishop Emmah Gospel Isong, has expressed concern over the rising hopelessness of the Nigerian child.
Besides, Bishop Isong says the poverty profile of the country is on the increase, adding that it is hypocritical for anybody or our representatives to say the country is fulfilled at 59 with the present state of affairs.
Speaking at the Faith Mansion World Centre (City of Testimonies) Calabar during the 6th Emmah Isong Public Lecture as part of activities to mark his 55th birthday anniversary at the weekend, he said it was incredible that the present APC-led government had not been able to take Nigeria out of the woods even when the electorate had high hopes.
According to him, it is high time Nigerian federation was restructured to reflect the current realities and give every segment a sense of belonging, maintaining that the present structural imbalance had given room for mutual suspicion and injustice suffered by the federating states.
He said: “My only sadness at 55 is to see Nigeria the way it is; the future of our children is not guaranteed and our people are poor and wretched. Students are dropping out of school every day and my sadness is not for myself, but due to the way I see Nigerians getting poorer and poorer everyday while two or three people are getting richer and richer and sharing oil blocks; I cry.
“I will only say I am happy at 55 if I am selfish, but I am sad because our country is not living up to expectations and I am really worried. There must be a bloodless solution, solution without war to reverse the trend”, he said.
He said the topic, “Nigeria’s Indivisibility-A Case of Sacrosanctity or Sycophancy,” for this year’s lecture was apt because the present structure of the country is the only topic affecting everyone.
He added that the lopsided structure of the Nigerian State has created the various problems facing the country particularly the Niger Delta restiveness, Biafra agitation and the Fulani herdsmen crisis, hence the need for discussing it.
Speaking earlier on the topic, “Nigeria’s Indivisibility – A Case of Sacrosanctity or Sycophancy,” the guest lecturer, Dr. Otuekong Ukut, said true patriots in the country should rise up and ensure that the country is given a just and proper realignment to bring peace, development and prosperity to various people of the present entity called Nigeria.
“We need patriots who can stand up to the truth; disregard the name-calling and abuse that will follow and strongly advocate that the country be given a just and proper realignment that will bring peace development and prosperity to the various people of the present entity called Nigeria.
“59 years after independence, and 105 years after amalgamation, the structure of Nigeria is holding down development and has stunted the potential and the growth of the country. The time is ripe to release the ethnic groups to proper realignment and self determination”, he said.
Also speaking at the event, the Cross River State Debt Review and Development Commission Chairman, Chris Agara, commended Isong for impacting on humanity as well as his passion for the socio-economic and political development of the country.
Agara, who was the chairman of the event, said despite the travails faced by the country in the course of its history, the peaceful coexistence of the people of the country is critical and expressed optimism that things will work out appropriately for Nigerians in due course.