• Dec 26 24
• Local

Nigeria Relapsing into despair- Kukah

The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto, Matthew Hassan Kukah, has called on the Federal Government to develop a comprehensive work plan to secure the nation.

In his Christmas message, yesterday, the fiery preacher said the stampedes at palliative distribution centres in Oyo, Anambra and FCT last week in which scores of Nigerians died reflect desperation among the citizenry.

According to Bishop Kukah, the incidents could have been avoided if the government had addressed the economic hardship faced by Nigerians.

“The tragedies that occurred in Okija, Ibadan, and Abuja where innocent people lost their lives in stampedes at food distribution points are a metaphor for the situation of desperation that citizens have been thrown into."

“The failures of government to respond concretely toward ending the horrible crisis of hunger and desperation has created the conditions for these avoidable tragedies.

“Citizens are lapsing into despair. The Catholic Church is not new to providing succour for the needy and vulnerable.

“Government needs to work more closely with institutions that help to promote the common good of our society.”

Bishop Kukah noted that while some progress has been made in addressing the security challenges facing the country, more needs to be done to ensure the safety and well-being of citizens.

He noted that insecurity is closely linked to corruption, unemployment, and violent religious extremism, and that addressing these underlying issues is crucial to winning the war against insecurity.

While commending the Federal Government’s educational loan schemes, Kukah said the programme should also be extended to those pursuing vocational or technical skills.

“Our journey to greatness is still severely constrained by the forces of ethnicity, nepotism, and greed. There is still the lingering anxiety that ethnicity and religion trump common citizenship in terms of access to opportunities.”

The cleric said the high costs of running for public office remained a significant barrier to youth participation in politics.

“In 2018, the passage of the Not Too Young to Run Bill was widely greeted by young people who believed that the doors had now opened for their active engagement in politics. After a few elections, many young people have been elected at various levels. This is commendable.

“However, problems of internal democracy, the costs of running for public office, still remain major obstacles for youth participation in politics.

“Insecurity is the first child of corruption. We cannot win the war against insecurity without addressing the issues of unemployment and violent religious extremism which create the conditions for violence.”

He reminded Christians of their role as the light of the world, and urged them to renew their commitment to living the ideals of Jesus Christ.

“Imagine what Nigeria would be like if we chose light instead of darkness. Let us therefore heed the words of the old Christian song; They will know we are Christians by our lives.”

He wished Nigerians a blessed Christmas and a peaceful New Year, and prayed that the new year will bring blessings and peace to the nation.