Bayelsa Baptist Conference (BBC) has decried the high cost of living in the country, as citizens continue to grapple with economic hardship.

This was contained in the resolutions of the BBC issued after its 2024 annual session which ended on February 21, held at Nyambiri in the Yenagoa Local Government Area of the state.

Recall that in the past few weeks, residents of Kano, Ogun, Niger and Oyo States had taken to the streets to protest soaring cost of living caused by spiralling inflation in the country.

The protests took place amidst reports quoting the African Development Bank (AfDB) as raising the alarm that rising prices of fuel and other commodities could lead to social unrest in Nigeria, Ethiopia, Angola, and Kenya.

The AfDB gave the warning in its macroeconomic performance and outlook for 2024 in which it projected Africa’s economy to grow higher than the 3.2 per cent recorded in 2023.

Following the current hardship, the organised labour has threatened to call out workers for nationwide protests on February 27 and 28 at the end of its 14-day ultimatum to the Federal Government, which expires on February 23.

In the resolutions signed by the Chairman of Bayelsa Baptist Conference, Rev. Anthony Dede, and the chairman of the Resolutions Committee, Rev. John Oluwajana, among others, the BBC said the hikes in the prices of goods and services had become unbearable for citizens.

The BBC, therefore, called on the Federal Government to come up with a price control mechanism to halt the surging inflation and reduce the hardship among citizens.

It said: “The present high cost of living due to inflation has affected the living conditions of citizens of the country. The sudden hikes in the prices of commodities are increasingly becoming unbearable for citizens.

"The Government should put in place mechanisms of price control to cushion the effects on the people as we encourage all Christians to have faith in God and pray for our dear nation, Nigeria."

The Baptist Conference also appealed to the Bayelsa State government to construct a road to Nyambiri to connect the community to the East-West Road, and save the people from the problem of the lack of accessibility.

“We hereby appeal to the Prosperity Government of Bayelsa State to consider awarding contract for the construction of access road to link Nyambiri to the East-West Road. This will reduce the suffering of the people and give them a sense of belonging", the conference said.

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