Cleric advises churches, firms, on social responsibility

Privileged individuals, churches and corporate organizations have been enjoined to plough back some of their income to the communities where they operate as part of their responsibilities to the society.

General Overseer of Dominion Faith International Church, Rev. David Olatona who made this appeal in Lagos said that government cannot provide everything the society needs.

Rev. Olatona stressed that it is not enough for people to be making several demands on government without giving back to the society where they are.

He maintained that the secret of the success of American system is that while they are still in their schools, citizens of that country are always made to understand that they must give back to the society.

Rev. Olatona urged churches and corporate bodies to take time to study the environment where they operate and see what they can do to assist the people.

He said that in Lagos, for instance, people are always paying heavily to obtain drinkable water even as businessmen cash in on the poor water situation in the metropolis to m ake a lot of money from poor people.

The cleric therefore maintained that if churches and companies can drill boreholes in the communities where they operate, they could provide the people with free potable water to make their lives better.

Rev. Olatona disclosed that in the Fatolu area of Ipaja where his church is located, the church leaders saw that the people lacked good drinking water hence it provided a borehold from which the residents fetch their water free of charge or daily basis.

The church, he added, is also looking for a piece of land in each of the five Community Development areas (CDA’s) in Ipaja-Ayobo area to dig boreholes to provide more people with good drinking water.

The cleric also said the Dominion Faith International Church also electrified the whole of Abiola Street where it is located thereby providing the people with street light on daily basis.

"If every church will make free water or street light available in the communities where they are, it will be a proper way of contributing to the society," he added.

Rev. Olatona revealed that his church also provides free lunch to the needy people in the area every Friday from 12.noon.

The church’s free lunch programme, he added had been attracting between 300 and 500 weekly as it is only the ways to show appreciation to the community where it is located.

"I believe Nigeria will be a better place to live in if every Nigerian will give back to society. I therefore challenge Nigerians to think what they can do to their communities. It should not be only you and your family. We need to make the society a better place," he added.