Deregulation will increase poverty rate in the country, says Makinde

By Akoma Chinweoke

AS controversy continues to trail the   Federal Government’s proposed   plan to fully deregulate the downstream sector of the nation’s petroleum industry, the prelate, Methodist Church Nigeria, Dr. Sunday Ola. Makinde, has described the exercise as untimely for the country, warning that it is capable of increasing the sufferings of the people.

Makinde who was speaking with newsmen in yesterday in Lagos at the ninth annual national conference of the Knights of John & Charles Wesley, explained that since without people there would be neither church nor government, the National Assembly should intervene to save the countries masses from untold hardship.

He said: “I am waiting to see what the National Assembly would do because they are representing our people and I must tell you that without people there is no church or government. So, deregulation will increase the sufferings of the population in Nigeria and for me, as a religious leader, I think the exercise is very untimely and obnoxious.

They are saying the current system is making some people rich, Let them remove that obstacle and do not deregulate because it will increase the poverty rate in the nation” On the efforts of the new CBN Governor , Lamido Sanusi to bring sanity into the nation’s financial sector, the clergy said “ it is a welcomed idea either we like it or not. We have to give them credit as they are doing a very good job.