Bishop Oyedepo Advises FG, “Rather Than Selling National Assets, Sell Nigeria’s Intellectual Resources”

Bishop David Oyedepo, the founder of Covenant University and Living Faith Church  has advised the federal government on the sale of national assets. Oyedepo encouraged the sale of Nigeria’s intellectual resources rather than its national assets.

He also assured that the Covenant University would continue to set a benchmark in the deployment of Information and Communication Technology, financial efficiency and good governance.

The founder of Covenant University and Living Faith Church David Oyedepo has added his voice to the controversy trailing the sale of Nigeria’s assets, the Nation reports. Speaking over the weekend in his address at the seventh inaugural lecture series for Covenant University, themed: “Deconstructing the national development agenda: The role of Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs)”, Oyedepo said rather than sale national assets, the government should look inward. The Bishop said Nigeria has massive intellectual resources that can the sold globally. The lecture, a part of the activities for the institution’s 14th anniversary was presented by a professor of Computer Science and immediate past vice chancellor of the university Charles Ayo.

The lecture also formed part of activities marking the university’s 14th anniversary. Oyedepo said: “Sell intellectual capital, not national asset.” He also said Nigerians love for foreign good will continue to grow until except both the leadership and the masses remain committed to the Nigerian project. “I have been to Ghana. Many of the schools they have there are glorified secondary schools; but Nigerians still go there because many have lost interest in our education and government is not helping matters,” Oyedepo said. “We must admit that we have problems from education to health to governance. However, problems are like a sore, which keep enlarging if they are not attended to.

“The problems are obvious but God has deposited adequate resources to deal with them.  Let us see these challenges as potentials to leap into the future that we all anticipate,” he said. He called on leaders to open greater opportunities for Nigerians to thrive through Open Distance Learning. He said, an educated citizen can always add value to the nation’s economy. “Even if government does not have up to N40 billion, let’s know what they have. But if they claim they have nothing, then there is no value because every developed society thrives on education that is well-funded,” he said.

He also assured participants that Covenant University would continue to set a benchmark in the deployment of ICT, financial efficiency and good governance. “Nigeria produces less leaders, but mass produces miscreants,” Oyedepo added. Meanwhile, since news broke on the sale of national assets, the presidential in a move has also put up two out of its ten presidential jets for sale. From an estimate based on the market value, the federal government is expected to realize N20 billion from the sale of the two presidential jets.