“It is time to demonstrate leadership"- Lagos pastor, Tunde Bakare tells President Buhari

Senior Pastor of the Latter Rain Assembly and former running mate to President Buhari in the 2011 general election, Pastor Tunde Bakare, Sunday had his annual state of the nation speech where he said that it is time for President Buhari to demonstrate leadership and lead Nigeria aright. He charged President Buhari to re-shuffle his cabinet and ensure that the right people with their expertise are placed in the right places.

“Mr. President must galvanise his team to get the job done; square pegs in round holes must be removed or put in appropriate places; the wicked who surround the righteous must be led away from the presence of the king. Those who cannot stand the heat must get out of the kitchen. It is time to demonstrate leadership, wise judgment and astute public policy that guarantees stable and prosperous nationhood upon a foundation of peace. 

It is time to build a well-ordered nation with strong institutions dispensing justice. It is time to arise with patriotic zeal to build a great nation such that, years from now, generations yet unborn will look back at their history, not with disdain, but with gratitude to God that our generation preceded theirs. May 2017 be the year we look into the future with the eyes of faith and take steps to accomplish all that we know is possible” he said.

He frowned at the foreign exchange policy that has led to the lingering scarcity of foreign exchange.

"To begin with, the confusing and discriminatory multiple dollar to naira exchange rates, favourable to some and not so favourable to others, and without doubt confusing for potential investors, must be discarded while a more reliable and predictable exchange rate, mutually beneficial to our people and economy and attractive to foreign investors, should be put in place. 

Similarly, prohibitive and punitive interest rates must be lowered in order to liberate the creative ingenuity of our people as well as encourage those who can access mortgages at affordable rates to become homeowners, especially if our Pension Scheme is up-to-date and robust. The multiplier effect of the removal of these bottlenecks in our economy will cushion the effect of the current recession on our people" he said.