BY CALEB AYANSINA
ABUJA—THE CHURCH of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) weekend cited the judicious use of money to be realised from the removal of fuel subsidy as main condition for the Church to give its nod to the Federal Government’s decision on the removal of subsidy and increase in fuel price of petroleum products by 2012.

The church also strongly criticized the call in some quarters to legalise prostitution in Nigeria, calling on government not to even yield to the antics of people from outside to take side with it during the assembly of the United Nation.

Primate of the Church of Nigeria, Most Revd. Nicholas Okoh, who stated this in an interview at the 12th Abuja Diocesan women’s conference in Abuja, said Nigeria had a moral right to decide what happened to its citizens without minding the influence of outsiders.

The cleric said though the church was still studying government’s proposal on the issue of fuel subsidy, it would at the appropriate time make its position public.

His words: “Our church is still studying it; we have been informed that government had to take hard decision in the interest of the citizens.

“But what we will like to comment upon is the application of the fund that will accrue from the subsidy removal. If it is properly managed, in which case, it is applied to the development of infrastructure of the country and it is very transparent, then it will have our blessing. But if it is handled the same way looted funds recovered from politicians is handled, we will not give our support.

“Legalising prostitution is one proposal too many. I don’t think that because many people are into prostitution, it is worthy of being legalised. I listened to the deputy senate president denying it, that he didn’t say such a thing. So I don’t think he will say it and if he said so, we will say that Nigeria cannot legalise prostitution.

“I have also heard that it is even being proposed by the United Nations. If it is so, then we should stand our moral ground. Nigeria is a country which has a right to protect its citizens. It should not allow outside influence to dictate what should happen to us here.”