On Friday, Primate Elijah Ayodele, the leader of the INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, issued a stark warning to President Bola Tinubu concerning Nigeria’s economic future. He emphasized that if the current economic hardships are not tackled swiftly, Nigeria could see a return to petrol prices of N1,200 per litre, up from the current N945.
Primate Ayodele highlighted the rising costs of essential commodities, predicting that local rice could reach N100,000 per bag, while imported rice might go for N140,000. Other staples like yam, beans, and vegetable oil are also expected to become increasingly expensive, putting further strain on the average Nigerian’s budget. He also noted that even spiritual items like anointing oil would become unaffordable, illustrating the broad impact of the economic downturn.
In a statement released by his media aide, Oluwatosin Osho, Primate Ayodele suggested specific solutions to mitigate the crisis. He proposed the opening of Nigeria’s borders to facilitate better trade and enhance agricultural productivity within the country as immediate steps to ease economic pressures.
He criticized the government’s approach to alleviating poverty through rice palliatives distributed via politicians, arguing that this method is not only ineffective but also encourages corruption. “The rice palliative is only encouraging corruption; it is not alleviating any hardship; rather, it’s adding to it,” Ayodele remarked. He stressed that hardship is not a divine decree but a result of mismanagement by those in power.
The prophet warned of a potential public backlash if the government fails to address these issues, suggesting, “Just like I have said before, if the government isn’t careful, people will start stoning them.” He urged the creation of dedicated committees to combat these economic challenges from all angles, forecasting severe consequences if these issues are left unresolved.
Primate Ayodele’s message is clear: immediate, decisive action is required to prevent further economic deterioration and to avoid public discontent from escalating. His warnings serve as a call to the administration to rethink its strategies and engage more effectively with the economic realities facing ordinary Nigerians.
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