Servant of God and Leader at INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Oke-Afa, Ejigbo, Lagos State, Primate Elijah Babatunde Ayodele (JP), has faulted the state of the nation address delivered by President Muhammadu Buhari to Nigerians on Sunday evening, stating that the speech rather than give Nigerians succor would increase suffering among the masses.
Buhari, in the speech aimed at addressing the spread of Coronavirus pandemic, ordered a two-week total lockdown of Lagos, Ogun States and Abuja, completely restricting movements of persons while businesses and offices within these locations are to be fully closed during the 14-day period.
But Primate Ayodele condemned the blanket restriction suggesting that Buhari had put the cart before the horse rather than the other way round in dealing with the situation. He said he foresaw huge economic problems and recession as a result.
”Who thinks for Buhari,” the cleric wondered. Continuing, he said, ”the President’s speech should have addressed first how people, especially masses would not suffer within those 14 days before reeling out his orders to lock them in their homes without any means of surviving.”
The cleric questioned why would Nigerian government not copy the arrangement of a few African countries and some foreign nations like the UK which think of their people’s welfare before handing down lockdown orders.
”The Buhari government had asked us to close down our businesses and even churches. For two weeks, we have not had services at INRI. We are obeying the government’s order but the same government does not care how we survive. In saner countries like the UK, US, even some African countries, people come first, they made arrangements for their people’s survival before locking down their countries,” Ayodele stressed.
The servant of God, however, commended the Lagos State government for its efforts in dealing with the situation to the satisfaction of majority of the residents while maintaining that the state would do more if more funds are available at his disposal.
”Lagos government is trying but its capacity is limited money wise. They need help,” said Ayodele who declared that ”I’m witnessing such an insensitive plan by a federal government since I became an adult where people’s problems are compounded in the name of governing them.”
Primate Ayodele is one of the few men of God who have continued to offer solutions, both physically and spiritually, to assist victims and the poor since Coronavirus broke out. Last Friday, his church’s charity division reportedly spent over N15 million to distribute protective materials, and cash to support Nigerians who would be affected by the government’s stay-at-home order.
