Managing Director, Transerve Disc Technologies Limited, Pastor Cyprian Orakpo, has said called on all tiers of government, national and state Houses of Assembly to reduce the cost of governance.
He stated that there are waste in government, adding that such should be reduced drastically.
He stated that it is imperative for concerted efforts to be exerted to eliminate or reduce corruption.
He spoke to journalists in Lagos on the sidelines of the public presentation of his book: ‘Journey To The Top.’
Orakpo, currently the Pastor in charge of the Redeemed Christian Church Of God (RCCG), Lagos Province 19, Strong Tower Sanctuary, Ogudu, Lagos, explained that his book has basic principles that when applied would enable an individual, organisation and even a country to reach to the top.
Orakpo said, “I have been wanting to write a book to chronicle some principles that I unknowingly deployed, that I believe got me to where I am today. So that others can be in better control of their lives to determine where they want to be, either at the TOP or at the bottom. Achieving success in life is predictable. There are certain things which if you do, you will likely be successful. But there are certain things which if you also do not do, you can not succeed in life.
“My wife has a bosom friend, Pastor Ngozi Okure, a prolific writer who has written 30 books. She is a missionary and wife of the Country Coordinator of RCCG Mission in Venezuela, Pastor David Okure. She came to see me sometime in 2022 at the church I was pastoring then, the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Peace Assembly, Victoria Island Lagos. She said that she followed my teachings on Journey to the Top both on-site and online and decided to transcribe it into a book. I immediately concluded that God surely wanted me to write this book. So I fleshed up the book a little more, added a few more explanations and testimonies and Bible passages, and the book was birthed.
“It was not as if I learnt all these principles. Some were learnt of course but most of them were just sheer providence that I stumbled into them and began to practise them. It was later when I went to Lagos Business School that I began to read about some of them. I was like, this is what I have been doing all along unknowingly. I therefore felt that I should put it in a book as a legacy for my generation and to assist anybody who is determined to reach the top of his life, Career, Marriage or vocation.”
He said, “I do not really think that the debt is high. We have many countries that have a higher debt per GDP ratio than Nigeria. America and Japan for example are some of the most indebted nations in the world. But it is not just the volume of debt, that may not be saying it all. The problem we have is that we have low revenue, wastage and corruption. Most of this money that was borrowed is productively utilized. Most of them are used to pay salaries, allowances and unnecessary bureaucracies. Have you seen our leaders, ministers, legislators, and the escort vehicles that follow them? Have you seen the allowances of the ministers, National Assembly members and their special assistants? Most of the debt is spent on consumption with zero value to the economy. So high debt is not a major problem but what they were used for.
“We should address it by reducing waste and corruption in governance, deploying the borrowed funds to productive uses, and earning more revenue through production. We can produce most of what we import through encouragement of the real sector by providing basic infrastructures, single-digit interest rates, improving on our ease of doing business, patronizing locally made products etc.
“Nigeria is a highly endowed nation with ample human and natural resources. We certainly can reduce our cost of governance. What are we doing with about 45 ministers and the bogus National Assembly? I learnt that the USA does not have as many ministers as we do. Each of them may have more than 5 special assistants and other aides and they will all have accommodation, vehicles, allowances provided for them etc. Do we need such a high number of government functionaries and their aides? Some of our problems might be traced to waste in government. There is so much waste in government in Nigeria. And we are asking the citizens to make sacrifices. What about our leaders? What sacrifice are they making for national development? Are they not one of the most-paid public servants in the world? I believe that our leaders should lead in sacrifices for us to follow.”
Orakpo, currently the Pastor in charge of the Redeemed Christian Church Of God (RCCG), Lagos Province 19, Strong Tower Sanctuary, Ogudu, Lagos, explained that his book has basic principles that when applied would enable an individual, organisation and even a country to reach to the top.
Orakpo said, “I have been wanting to write a book to chronicle some principles that I unknowingly deployed, that I believe got me to where I am today. So that others can be in better control of their lives to determine where they want to be, either at the TOP or at the bottom. Achieving success in life is predictable. There are certain things which if you do, you will likely be successful. But there are certain things which if you also do not do, you can not succeed in life.
“My wife has a bosom friend, Pastor Ngozi Okure, a prolific writer who has written 30 books. She is a missionary and wife of the Country Coordinator of RCCG Mission in Venezuela, Pastor David Okure. She came to see me sometime in 2022 at the church I was pastoring then, the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Peace Assembly, Victoria Island Lagos. She said that she followed my teachings on Journey to the Top both on-site and online and decided to transcribe it into a book. I immediately concluded that God surely wanted me to write this book. So I fleshed up the book a little more, added a few more explanations and testimonies and Bible passages, and the book was birthed.
“It was not as if I learnt all these principles. Some were learnt of course but most of them were just sheer providence that I stumbled into them and began to practise them. It was later when I went to Lagos Business School that I began to read about some of them. I was like, this is what I have been doing all along unknowingly. I therefore felt that I should put it in a book as a legacy for my generation and to assist anybody who is determined to reach the TOP of his life, Career, Marriage or vocation.”
Vice Chairman, Famfa Oil Limited, Apostle Folorunso Alakija, urged Nigerians not to despair and not to give up.
She advised them to keep being diligent, industrious, and having faith in God, adding that they will succeed.
She said,”It is obvious that Pastor Orakpo is a man of many parts. To get to this level in his life, he has experienced so many things and he has put those experiences in this book. It is a life journey. He has made it to this height.
The book is lessons of life and how to ensure that as many people as possible are encouraged, to always push through and not to stop at whatever they find themselves and it is what you put into it, that you will get out of life. So never give up, hang in there, make sure you keep on working and you will get to the top. That is the message. The book talks about different things about life, marriage, business, God, name it, it is there. It is a book for everybody, whether you are a student or a grandma.”
Founder/Chief Executive Officer, Premium Trust Bank Limited, Mr Emmanuel Efe Emefienim, urged people to display intergrity and work, hard, adding that getting to the top is deliberate.
He said,”The requirements to making it to the top are the things encapsulated in the book. People should know that getting to the top is deliberate. It does not happen by accident. Once you are able to pay the price, you will get to the top.”