The Leader Of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele has advised President Tinubu to support indigenous entrepreneurs and producers like Glo, Innoson motors and others in order to grow Nigeria’s economy.
In a statement signed by his media aide, Osho Oluwatosin, the cleric revealed that the economy of the country is being destroyed by Nigerians because they don’t encourage and patronize locally- made products.
He frowned at how Nigerians were helpless when DSTV earlier announced that it won’t be showing the AFCON 2024 matches.
He stated that the uproar that followed the announcement indicated that there is a huge problem in the country and that if the country continues that way, the economy may continue to nosedive.
‘’We are killing our economy by ourselves; we are the problems of our economy. Why can’t we encourage the Nigerian-owned cable system to grow in the country? We are always after DSTV and GOTV, Why can’t we come up with our own cable station where we have every television station on it.’
‘’Why are we promoting foreign products? We ought to have our own DSTV, GOTV, Star times instead of depending on these imported cable systems. It is time for us to rise, we have all it takes to get all these things but our leaders will not look into it.’’
Speaking on telecommunication, Primate Ayodele mentioned that Nigerians patronize foreign companies more than the indigenously-owned Globacom. He explained that an indigenous company like Glo should be encouraged to expand and look into telephone production but even policies designed by the government don’t encourage the company and other indigenous companies that may want to surface.
‘’Glo is our only indigenous telecommunication service provider but we patronize the foreign ones more. Instead of patronizing our Nigerian made product, we are looking for foreign made products. Nigeria is killing Nigerians, we are killing ourselves. God will not come down to help us if we don’t help ourselves.’’
‘’Why is it that Glo cannot start making sophisticated telephones? We use imported phones in the country, why can’t we have our own? We should not continue praying to God, our economy is in our hands. ‘’
‘’Let us encourage indigenous products so that Nigeria will move forward. Nigeria has all it takes to become economically buoyant but our leaders are so myopic. Instead of supporting indigenous products, the country destroys them with huge taxes, fines, encourage foreign competitors that will end up killing our local products.’’
Education wise, Primate Ayodele noted that the country values degrees from foreign universities more than the once gotten from Nigerian institutions, citing it as reasons for fake certificates littering across the country.
He reiterated that the country isn’t economically buoyant because home products are not encouraged. He asserted that there can be no solution to the country’s economic crisis until local products are encouraged in patronage.
‘’Even education wise, we value degrees from foreign universities more than the ones gotten from Nigerian universities and that’s why we now have fake certificates littered across the country. We are not buoyant in this country because we don’t patronize our home made products, we are killing them and that’s why dollars will continue to rise against the Naira. There can be no solution to our economic crisis until we support our local made products.’’
Furthermore, Primate Ayodele urged the government to seek opportunities for indigenous products to expand instead of being caged. He also blasted state governments that prefer to partner with GAC and other foreign-made vehicles when Nigeria has Innoson Motors. He appealed to the government to do more for local products because it will help the economy of the country.
‘’Instead of looking for ways to cage our indigenous products, the government should encourage them to do more, and provide funds for them to expand. We can have more of our own soft drinks, wines, food, and several others.
“Instead of killing them, let us encourage them and give them home advantage. We have innoson motors but some state government are dealing with GAC and other foreign made vehicles, how do they want our indigenous product to grow?’’