The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) has sounded alarm bells over the deteriorating state of the nation under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, describing the situation as “worrisome.”
The bishops warned that Nigeria is precariously close to a crisis, likening the current circumstances to “sitting on a ticking time bomb.” They called on President Tinubu to urgently address the nation’s myriad issues to prevent an impending disaster.
This was just as the Conference predicted that as long as the issues of poverty, hardship and corruption continued to be the lots of Nigeria youths, the nation should be ready to contend with more youth protests.
The Catholic bishops also expressed grave concern about the nation’s growing debt burden adding that “servicing huge debts to international monetary agencies and sourcing for funds internally to balance budget deficit led to the economic reforms of Mr President, consisting mainly in the withdrawal of fuel subsidies and the floating of naira.
President of the Catholic body, Most Rev. Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji, the Archbishop of Owerri and also the President Catholic Bishop Conference of Nigeria, stated these in his welcome address at the opening Session of the 2024 Second Plenary Assembly of the (CBCN), taking place at Auchi, Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State.
While declaring the Conference opened Ugorji, said the future of the nation depended on how the challenges bedeviling the nation were tackled.
He, however, expressed optimism that absolute trust in God would transform our nation.
On the state of nation he said, “On August 4th, 2024, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, enumerated the achievements of his administration.
While we recognise that notable progress has been made in some sectors or our national life, we cannot fail to admit that the present state of the nation is worrisome. Even though insecurity remains one of our major challenges.
“As our national economy continues to decline and continue to reduce millions to a life of multidimensional poverty and untold hardship, the Nigerian youths embarked on a nation wide protest tagged #EndBadGovernance from 1 to 10th August 2024.
“The protest was aimed at publicly voicing out their disappointment and frustration on the ills bedeviling the nation. Although Nigeria have the constitutional right to express their grievances through peaceful protests, there was widespread concern could be hijacked by miscreants.
“Likewise we condemn in strong terms the killing of some protesting youths by security operatives . We pray for the happy repose of the dead, the speedy recovery of the injured and the consolation of the bereaved.
“We wish to stress that as long as the nation is afflicted with poverty, hardship and corruption, and as long as the future of youths in our nation remains bleak, we continue to reckon with youth protest. Rather than address the tide of ill trying to drown the nation, some government officials are busy passing the buck and looking for scapegoat.
“We are indeed sitting on a ticking time-bomb as security operatives try to crack down on some of those involved and their sponsors on perceived trumped up charges, raising concern whether they are trying to strip citizens of their democratic rights and freedoms to protests or give the impression that everything in the country was fine and there was really no need for the protest. This is delusional and condemnable.” Ugorji submitted.
On the increasing debt burden, he said, “Millions of vulnerable Nigerians are now trapped in living conditions, which are affront to human dignity. Indeed, for the present and future generations of our people, the debt burden has turned out to be new form of enslavement, causing pain , despair and death.”
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