The chairman of the Lagos chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Archbishop Stephen Adegbite, says religious leaders have the role of praying that the proposed 2024 ‘Budget of Renewed Hope’ should live up to its name.

Mr Adegbite said this in Lagos on Thursday following President Bola Tinubu’s budget presentation to the National Assembly on Wednesday. He specifically mentioned the priority given to defence and security in the budget proposal, saying it would help actualise other areas targeted in the document and make life better in the country.

On Wednesday, Mr Tinubu presented an appropriation bill of N27.5 trillion to the parliament, stressing that “defence and internal security are accorded top priority.” 

The president promised that “the internal security architecture will be overhauled to enhance law enforcement capabilities and safeguard lives, property and investments across the country.”

Mr Adegbite pointed out that no country could achieve greatness without securing lives and properties. According to him, with the premium given to security, the positive impact on the nation’s security architecture will dovetail with other facets of the nation’s social life.

The Christian leader said, “As a faith leader and gospel preacher, the spate of violent crimes in some parts of the country in the recent past has been of concern to me, just like others. Therefore, any policy act geared toward curtailing those should be a welcome one. We should pray for its implementation.

“It is tagged budget of renewed hope. I have no doubt in my mind that the plan will be religiously accomplished to give to the country the much-desired peace that has eluded it for some time.”

He said religious leaders would continue to pray for the president, his team, and the country for divine direction as they set out to right the wrongs in society and make life good for the citizens.

Another Christian cleric, Wale Ojo-David, of the Harvest Centre Mission in Lagos, said with the macroeconomic drivers in the plan, there would be a revamp in the nation’s critical infrastructure. He added that with the mainstreaming of elements of human capital development in the proposal, people’s confidence in the state would be restored.

Tajudeen Adebayo, the chief imam of Falomo Central Mosque, said with the sufferings in the land, the budget was tailored to ease the people’s fear of social security.

Mr Adebayo tasked the state to weed out corrupt elements in the system to reassure the people further that the budget was people-oriented.

(NAN)