Stop Borrowing, Methodist Bishop Urges FG
The President, Vision Africa International and Co-Chair Interfaith Dialogue Forum for Peace, Bishop Dr. Sunday Ndukwo Onuoha, has expressed worry over continuous borrowing by federal government and advised President Muhammadu Buhari to think of future generation of Nigerians.
Bishop Onuoha, who address newsmen in Umuahia on Monday shortly after returning from his home town, Item, in Bende LGA of Abia State, said it is important for the Federal Government to find other alternative plans in the new year.
In his words, “One thing about borrowing, is that while doing it, it appears enjoyable, but where the problem sets in is when you don’t have any hope of paying back or when you haven’t invested wisely with the borrowed money, hence problem may ensue at this point”.
He went on to say that “Borrowing may not be a bad idea if you invest and make judicious use of it, but in the Nigerian context, where there is recession, a lot may not be achieved in terms of pay back because those monies go into servicing of old debts without plans to invest”.
The Methodist bishop urged the FG not to mortgage the future of the younger generation who may be left to service these debts due to its gravity, stressing that it would be unfair to punish them by constantly borrowing without investing wisely to their advantage.
The bishop charged the government to invest in the youths who have potentials to unlock grey areas to the benefit of the entire country, noting that investing in them will take care of restiveness and all manner of agitations witnessed in the country in recent times.
The clergyman also called for massive investment in agriculture, pointing out that before the oil boom, agriculture was the mainstay, sustaining the country and providing jobs for millions of Nigerians, urging FG to invest more in agriculture now that the price of oil globally is down.
He added that if proper attention is given to the sector, it has all it takes to assist Nigeria offset it’s multiplicity of debts.