13th May, 2011
National President of the Pentecostal Commonwealth Christian Association of Nigeria (PCCAN), Bishop Charles Anselm, has listed some challenges President Goodluck Jonathan must tackle if he is to earn the trust of Nigerians in the next four years.
Bishop Anselm listed the challenges when he visited P. M. NEWS with the Secretary of the association, Bishop Bernard Ojemeni, yesterday.
He started by congratulating the President on his victory in the polls and appealed to him to provide affordable houses, power and make his government a people-friendly one.
“The President should try and consider the masses in his programmes. This is because since the inception of this democracy, every policy and programme of government have always favoured the elite and not the poor.
“The cost of accommodation in Nigeria is not affordable by the ordinary man. He should therefore think of a way to bring down the cost of building materials. It is unbelievable that a bag of cement now goes for N2, 500.
“The President should also help to build low cost houses where the masses would not be required to pay hundreds of thousands of naira which are non-refundable and at the end, the houses do not get to them,†he said.
According to him, it is disheartening that the government was happy that the country has been able to generate 4,000 megawatts of electricity when countries like South Africa, with a population of 40 million people generates 37,500 megawatts and Egypt, with a population of 80 million people generates 25,000 megawatts daily.
He urged the President to “directly and honestly†handle the energy sector and make all those who have been in the sector account for their activities.
The cleric also warned those perpetrating violence in some parts of the North to be careful as Christians in the country would no longer sit and watch while they are being killed at every opportunity.
The Bishop advised the presidential candidate of the Congress for Political Change, CPC, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, to withdraw his suit against the victory of President Jonathan at the polls.
He urged Buhari to work with the president to move the country forward.
—LANRE BABALOLA & EROMOSELE EBHOMELE