The General Overseer, Calvary Kingdom Church, Okokomaiko Lagos, Archbishop Joseph Ojo, says that hunger has eroded patriotism among many Nigerians.

Mr Ojo, an executive of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, said this in an interview with journalists in Lagos on Wednesday.

He was reacting to President Bola Tinubu’s nationwide broadcast to mark this year’s Democracy Day celebration.

He said that “hungry Nigerians waited patiently to hear from the president, steps taken to ameliorate their sufferings.

“Nigerians expected the president’s message to dwell on measures taken by his government to crash prices of staple foods,” he said.

The cleric spoke against the backdrop of rising cost of food items in the market.

He said: “Hunger is eroding patriotism in the people.

“Nigerians at this point expect messages of hope that will become a reality in the shortest time.

“The address should have addressed the daily challenges facing the people, especially the soaring food prices, to give hope of a better tomorrow.

“That rice and gari will become cheaper, petrol price reduced.

“Those are what is uppermost in the minds of the suffering masses now,” the clergyman said.

He further said that the country was in dire need of stable power to boost production.

“The issue of electricity should be prioritised in the scheme of things to make the Democracy Day celebration worthwhile,” he said. 

(NAN)