Catholic Bishops in the Kaduna Ecclesiastical Province have attacked the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government over the state of the country’s economy. The bishops called on the government to adopt viable ways of healing the injuries inflicted on the citizens.
According to the bishops, for more than two years after taking over government, the All Progressives Congress, APC, had not brought measurable improvement on the welfare of Nigerians. They noted that “The APC-led government did not take advantage of the opportunities that our last elections presented us. Our people entrusted them with their hopes and voted across religion and region.”
This is part of a communique signed and made available to reporters by the Chairman of the Province, Archbishop Mathew Ndagoso, and Secretary, Bishop John Niyiring, after its second plenary meeting in Minna.
The bishops said;
“We are saddened by the fact that after over two years, there are still no measurable changes in the welfare of our people. The recession has not abated, the lives of ordinary people continue to hang in a balance as insecurity ravages the land.
“The party in power remains riddled in internal infighting and has thus lost a sense of moral direction and urgency. “Sadly, very little has happened to assure Nigerians that they have a stake in their own country . “We cannot successfully go into the next (2019 ) election circle in this state siege.
“Military presence cannot provide peace for our people, only a responsible leadership with a sense of humility and respect can provide the space for our people to rebuild their lives. “Businesses are closing down, abandoned projects litter everywhere, retired pensioners still wait in vain for their pensions, workers’ salaries remain unpaid, health facilities and public services continue to deteriorate and life remains hazardous for citizens.
“The nation can now feel the accumulated impact of this frustration in the agitations among the various groups. “We call on our political officials to make hay while there is still a little shadow of sunshine . Perhaps more than any single group, the youth did more to bring this government to power, but they have become its victims. Sadly, very sadly, the lot of our youths has not changed.
“Unemployment still looms, a culture of strikes still endangers the future education of many young people. With the young people making up well over 50 per cent of our population, we are sitting on a keg of gunpowder. “Resolving the problems through dialogue, our politicians continue to treat the victims as aggressors.
“We appeal to our people to work assiduously through dialogue and just compromises to resolve perceived imbalances and structural deficiencies in the system.”
