The Anglican Bishop of Ihiala Diocese in Anambra, Rt. Rev. Israel Okoye has appealed to the Federal Government and the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) to accede to organised labour’s demand of N30,000 minimum wage.
Okoye made the appeal on Thursday at the second session of the third synod of the Diocese at St. Mary’s Church, Isseke, Ihiala Local Government Area.
The bishop said Nigerian workers deserved better treatment from what was currently obtainable, saying there is need to prevent workers from going on strike.
“The debacle over minimum wage implementation in Nigeria is unnecessary as government could eliminate financial wastages in whatever form to increase the salaries of workers,” he said.
On the 2019 general elections, Okoye urged INEC and security agencies to resist the temptation of being tools in the hands of politicians.
According to him, there is a dangerous trend that is fast developing in the country following the spate of manipulations, protests, violence, vote-buying and defections.
“It is starkly incontrovertible that many Nigerian politicians have no passion for the well being of the people.
“Parasitic politicians are now hovering all over the country, promising the best of paradise to the electorate and distributing money without recourse to solving the many economic and socio-political problems facing the country,” he said.
The bishop also reiterated the call for the release of Leah Sharibu from her Boko Haram abductors.
While speaking on the theme of the synod: “Where are you,” Okoye noted that the devil was leaving no stone unturned to derail God’s people from biblical Christianity.
He said that a growing population of people have now chosen to fake God’s gifts, while some have resorted to occultism and other immoral acts to serve Satan.
“As poverty spread with rapidity and fraudulent activities are carried out in the name of Jesus Christ, Christian homes are fast losing their spirituality.
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“God persists in asking those for whom Jesus Christ shed his precious blood, where are you,” he said.
He called on Christians to strive always to stand on the truth of the word of God.
In a lecture, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu called on the church all over the world to make effort in addressing the physical and spiritual needs of faithful.
Iwuanyanwu, who spoke on “Strategies for raising a self-sustaining church,” also called for the establishment of church departments that would provide employment and skills acquisition for youths and other members.
“Every diocese should have business departments where some organs of the church can invest on employment and training of youths for self-reliance,” he suggested.