*By Henry Okoduwa
Dr Chris Okafor is keeping his promise to feed at least 7,000 Nigerians in his new Feed-The-Poor palliative, and skill acquisition scheme that he launched five weeks ago in Lagos.
The founder and senior pastor of Grace Nation Church International had been moved to initiate a reach the people programme tagged, Feed-The-Poor in a bid to offer succour to many Nigerians currently groaning under the hardship occasioned by the abrupt removal of the fuel subsidy by the country’s government last year.
The resultant effect of the government’s action has seen the price of goods and services hit the rooftops as profiteers take advantage of the loopholes in the country’s lax price monitoring mechanism to make brisk business and further exploit the people.
With many households in the country unable to cope as the price of the Naira continues to fluctuate dangerously against the major currencies of the world, Nigerians have resorted to calling on divine intervention for some kind of solution.
But, as has been customary in such situations in the last couple of years, the man fondly referred to as the ‘Oracle of God’, on account of his remarkable prophetic insight, has often provided a channel through which Nigerians, particularly the poor, widows and the less-privileged, can be given some level of comfort from their troubles.
“The Lord laid it in my heart to start this 7-week programme that will run for seven Sundays beginning from this week,” Okafor told his congregation in March.
“The objective is to reach out to as many people who will make themselves available for the scheme which is all-encompassing. We do not only aim to feed the poor by giving them food items or clothings, but train them in skills that will make them able to fend for themselves, going forward,” he added.
Thousands of beneficiaries have so far emerged from the programme in the last five weeks. Excited beneficiaries, including members and first-timers to the church, have been profuse with appreciation for the initiative which they have hailed as “timely” and “God-sent.”
The palliative and skill acquisition programme is being sponsored by the Chris Okafor Humanity Foundation (COHF) in conjunction with the Grace Nation Church International.
The church authority have confirmed that it would consider launching another phase of the programme, going by the success of the present one.
Dr Okafor has also asked his members to be partakers in the programme by contributing their quotas to making it a success.
“Our members are also encouraged to join hands with me to make this initiative a huge and unqualified success by contributing in cash or kind to help swell the church’s food bank for the overall benefit of the poor and less privileged persons in our midst,” he said.
Hundreds of beneficiaries, including widows, took home sizeable rations of food items on Sunday.
