By SAM EYOBOKA

WORRIED by the growing adverse effect of corruption in different sectors of the nation’s economy, Presiding Bishop of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission, TREM, Dr. Mike OKONKWO Sunday challenged the Church to go beyond clapping hands and shouting Hallelujah to fight the menace frontally.

Speaking at the 10th edition of the church’s annual leadership empowerment programme, Breeding Leaders for Empowerment and National Transformation, BLENT, the bishop said the world out there is expecting the Church to take the gauntlet and tackle corruption, stressing “Creation is waiting for us to manifest and this is our time.

“I agree that the Church has to be sincere and not only speak against corruption but fight it. The fault does not just fall at the doorsteps of politicians, but also on the Church. Everyone of us must take a stand for a positive change in the country,” he enjoined.

Turning to the masses of the country, he said they must hold politicians accountable, adding “we are being abused every day and yet we are not demanding for the dividends of democracy. The only attempt to demand for it when people poured out into the streets against subsidy removal, some of us were compromised and the protest soon fizzled out,” Okonkwo explained.

In his welcome address at the programme that addressed the manufacturing sector entitled; “Nigeria: From a comsumption to a production oriented economy”, Okonkwo also challenged the National Assembly as well as the 36 state assemblies to refocus their attention towards the manufacturing sector which is supposed to drive the nation’s economy as other nations of the world.

“I feel the our law makers are not sincere about the manufacturing sector in the country because any nation desires growth and development must take the manufacturing sector seriously,” he opined, adding that the nation’s law makers cry daily about growing unemployment.

“How can the army of graduates be employed when manufacturing companies are relocating in drove to other nations of West Africa. I believe Nigerians are a very resilience people who can do anything to survive, if the right conditions are available; but where is the power? Our borders are porous and we import virtually everything including tooth picks.

“I heard the other day that our West African neighour, Ghana with a population of 25.37 million, generates over 12,000 mega watts while Nigeria with a population of over 160 million can barely generate 4,000 mega watts”, he laments, adding that it is not enough to pass laws by a bunch of people who have allocated a salary above that of the American president’s.

He said that was the reason why he accused the lawmakers of insincerity, noting that the nation’s problem is not the absence of human resources, but that of the lack of enabling environment, warning “we are sitting on a keg of gun power as we shun out out thousands of graduates yearly without being engaged.”

According to Bishop Okon-kwo, a nation were over 100,000 barrels of oil stolen daily makes one to ask: “are there no security operatives in the country? Enough is enough. Nigeria will change. Those who should go to prison, will go to prison; those who should go on exile, should go while those who deserve death must die for Nigeria to improve,” he cursed.