Support ''Change Begins with Me''-Bishop Onuoha

Dr David Onuoha,the Anglican Bishop of Okigwe South Diocese, has urged Nigerians to support the

recently launched “Change Begins with Me” initiative of the Federal Government.

He made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at his Ehime Mbano Bishop Court on Friday.

He said attitudinal change was a joint task for both government officials and the citizenry, stressing that
Nigerians should not trivialise, sectionalise or politicise the programme.

He added that the initiative was key to socio-economic advancement of the country in the face of daunting economic challenges.


The Change Begins With Me initiative is a reorientation campaign recently launched by President Muhammadu Buhari with the aim of inculcating the right attitude in Nigerians.

The Anglican Bishop said that with the past culture of corruption, it would be hard for Nigeria to move forward if people do not shun the past negative lifestyle and embrace change.

He noted that “it was corruption that exposed Nigeria to the present economic hardship.

“Instead of picking holes with the programme, it is necessary to come out with honest views and suggestions on how to make this work for the good of us all.

“It is a known fact that our nation will in no distant time pull out of the current recession if only 50 per cent of the common wealth wickedly appropriated by very few of our country men and women is recovered.”

Bishop Onuoha further called on top political office holders like president, vice president, governors, deputy governors, and the national and state legislators to cut down their salaries.

“The lifestyles of our public officers, especially the governors and members of the national and state assemblies, should be made to reflect the economic realities of the time,” he said.

Onuoha condemned the payment of pension to former governors, saying, “the monthly pension of our governors and other privileges is many times more than the monthly emolument of more than 100 university professors or medical directors.

He suggested the scrapping of the present bicameral legislature due to the huge budgetary cost for maintaining 360 house of representatives and 109 senators, saying let legislation be on part time.

He suggested that President Muhammadu Buhari should critically look at the list of his appointees to ensure that they all followed his transparency vision.

He urged government to address the problem of salary disparity across all levels of government, adding that the issue was central to the performance of the workers.

Recall that Buhari had last week Thursday, declared that the much needed change Nigerians yearn for must start with them.He made the declaration during the inauguration of the national re-orientation campaign tagged, ‘Change Begins With Me’ in Abuja.