Senior Pastor of the Citadel Global Community Church (formerly known as the Latter Rain Church), Pastor Tunde Bakare, on Sunday, expressed optimism that God would establish a new nation, stating emphatically that Nigeria would flourish again.
In his State of the Nation address, Bakare harshly criticised President Bola Tinubu, his administration and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for introducing policies that brought hardship upon the people.
He said, for instance, that the APC, which he is a founding member, started on the policy of progressivism, but it is now more anti-people than the Peoples Democratic Party, which it defeated in 2015.
Bakare wondered how the immediate past Governor of Zamfara State, Bello Mutawalli, who has been having a running battle with the Economic Crimes and Financial Commission (EFCC) on alleged corruption could be nominated as a minister by President Tinubu.
He criticised the President for having a bloated cabinet at a time that the country and its people were facing hardship.
He said that what Nigerians required were not palliatives but a policy that would tackle economic problems at the root. “Progressivism not built on trickle down benefits”, he further said.
Bakare, who on the theme, ‘Vice, Virtue and Time: The Three Things That Shall Never Stand’, called on Nigerians not to be docile but to take their destiny in their hands.
He explained: “We must share what the Lord has said to us and what he has shown to us. Today’s state of the nation broadcast is a by-product of what we have seen and what we have heard.
“You’re going to see God’s move in our nation after this state of the nation broadcast. Today will mark the time, day and season that God intervened in Nigeria’s affairs”.
Bakare lamented that the fuel subsidy removal and its harsh economic impact is having adverse effects on Nigerians. “Mr President, kill corruption, and not Nigerians. No economy can thrive on impunity”, he said.
The cleric faulted the proposed military intervention in Niger Republic by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
He said: “Local support for Nigeria by Nigeriens is at an all-time low. It is, therefore, counter-productive to engage in a warfare. While we condemn coup d’etat in West Africa, we recognise that the situation calls for deep, introspection on the part of African leaders.
“We call upon Nigeria at this time to provide good leadership. The real question is whether President Tinubu has capacity to provide the moral leadership even in the domestic context”.
