By Umar Bayo Abdulwahab
Ilorin
Chancellor, Landmark University, a faith-based institution located in Omu-Aran, Kwara state, Dr. David Oyedepo, yesterday said the country needed prayers for her leaders to have wisdom to deal with its challenges.
Oyedepo, who is also the founder, Living Faith Church worldwide, challenged the country’s leaders to learn from other countries that had experienced such crises on how best to manage them.
The cleric was responding to questions from journalists on the ongoing strike by doctors and the vision of the institution on agriculture during a world news conference heralding the institution’s maiden convocation ceremony at Omu-Aran.
He said: “Industrial action is caused by economic crises or mismanagement. It is sad that medical doctors will close their eyes and walk out on dying patients, its inhuman but we don’t know how far those who are managing the crisis have gone.”
He said incessant strikes by various institutions particularly education sector “is eroding the nation’s values and killing the system.”
Oyedpo said “industrial crisis is a global issue which requires those at the helms of affairs to learn the modern approach in dealing with emerging industrial disputes without workers resorting to industrial action.”
“If you are deficient in managing crisis, go and find out from those who have managed it well.”
He said labour should not be allowed to see strike as the only effective means through which workers would continue to get government attention, because institutions would continue to employ the method, thereby “making the system struggling to survive, Nigeria needs prayers.”
Oyedepo described “food shortage as the greatest problem of Nigeria,” stressing that “there is no war that is greater than the war of hunger.”
He said the importation of food items from Benin Republic even though had been banned by the federal government, was an indication that “there is no food in the country.”
He said the landmark university was part of its agricultural revolution programmes designed to ensure food security for the nation and continent at large, adding that it was cultivating 300 hectares of Jatropha plantation.
The chancellor said the institution had produced 39 first class graduates out of the 386 pioneer graduating students christened the “pathfinders.”