•Tinubu and Wale Oke
The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) has called on the Tinubu-led federal government to take urgent action to stabilise the naira, warning that its persistent depreciation is worsening the living conditions of Nigerians.
PFN National President, Bishop Francis Wale Oke, made the appeal in Lagos today during a press conference ahead of the fellowship’s 40th anniversary celebration scheduled for next month.
Describing the current exchange rate as humiliating, Bishop Oke recalled how, in 1985, he obtained $865 with just N500 from the bank for his first foreign trip, reports The Nation.
He urged the government to establish cottage industries across all 774 local government areas and employ 500 youths in each, stressing that such a move would drive production, curb unemployment, and boost the economy.
“When you devalue people’s money, you devalue their lives. I plead with the government to do everything within its power to enhance the value of the naira,” he said.
On education, Oke urged increased funding and stricter monitoring of the sector to guarantee quality learning for all Nigerian children, lamenting how children, especially in the North, were still learning under the trees.
He also called for reforms in the health sector, questioning why Nigerian leaders have continued to seek medical treatment abroad.
The PFN leader proposed equipping at least one tertiary hospital in each of the six geopolitical zones to a world-class standard, both in infrastructure and personnel, to curb medical tourism and restore citizens’ confidence in the system.
Continuing, Oke said there was a need for better pay and conditions for health workers to stem the exodus of professionals to other countries, urging the government to fully implement the new minimum wage.
He also appealed to the government to address critical infrastructure, such as electricity, roads, railways, and to revive Nigerian Airways to boost national pride.
On governance, the PFN president stressed that the anti-corruption fight must be impartial, with no sacred cows, urging total independence for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to guarantee credible elections.
Speaking on the successes of the PFN since its establishment in 1985, Bishop Oke said spreading the Gospel to millions of people through evangelism and revival has helped to stop crime, immortality, and hopelessness from overwhelming society.
He clarified insinuations that Faith-Based Organisations (FBOs) were building schools with exorbitant fees that average members cannot afford, noting that many of such institutions offer scholarships through the church’s foundation for qualified students who cannot afford the fees.
“A lot is done behind the scenes that our faith doesn’t allow us to speak publicly about. Running a university is not a profitable venture. It is just our contribution to better the future of this country. The mission schools you talked about were founded by missionaries who got funding from their home countries.
“In Nigeria, we are the home. We are the nation. We are the people generating everything. We’re not being sponsored from America or from anywhere…
“We would like you to inform the people about the good sides. In our universities and institutions, there is zero tolerance for cultism. Sexual harassment is not tolerated, and there are no interruptions in the education calendar of the students…
“We stand on two very serious pillars – academic excellence and moral/spiritual soundness. We make sure that we’re not producing educated crooks who will go to Africa to loot our treasury. We produce people with a moral compass based on core biblical values,” he added.
On activities to celebrate its 40th anniversary, Bishop Oke said the association would unveil a new legacy headquarters in Abuja during its weeklong festivities.
He said there were also plans to review PFN’s Constitution to standardize the Pentecostal doctrine to minimize controversies, adding that there would be holistic development of the directorate of politics and governance
Okey also dismissed claims that the PFN had been silent on national issues, especially insecurity, noting that aside from speaking, the PFN has set aside special days to pray for the country so that God will reveal the sponsors of the killings.
Bishop Oke was joined in the press conference by National Planning Committee chairman, Bishop Taiwo Adelakun; former Secretary of PFN, Archbishop Joseph Ojo; PFN Jos chairman, Dr Stephen Dangana, and PFN Lagos Chairman, Pastor Yemi Davids.
