FG must take responsibility for unleashing hardship on Nigerians – Onaiyekan
By Everest Ezihe, Orlu
Archbishop Emeritus of Abuja and one time Nigerian Prelate of the Catholic Church, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, has enjoined the Federal Government of Nigeria and other levels of government both present and previous to accept responsibilities of unleashing on her populace unprecedented hardship.
Onaiyekan said this recently at the open field of C.I.C Umuchima in Ideato South Local Government Area of Imo State in his homily, marking the celebration of the Jubilee Year of Hope, 2025 which also coincided with Rev. Fr. Maurice Emelu’s 50th birthday and the 20th anniversary of his priestly ordination.
According to him, “Those who have grabbed power to rule our nation must accept responsibility for the pains into which Nigerians have been plunged.
“They should know that they will account for their actions and inactions before the Almighty and Merciful God. The Church continues to pray for them to do the right things. But above all, we continue to pray for Nigeria in distress, so that the Lord may deliver us from chaos, anarchy and doom.
“Beyond prayer, the Church has not abdicated her responsibility to get involved in peacefully encouraging and facilitating a change for the better in the political and economic management of our nation.”
Onaiyekan affirmed that the Church has always been involved in the social welfare of her people, especially through her traditional ministry of education and health care, noting that an educated and healthy nation will not be poor and hungry.
He pointed out that, with the present socio-economic crisis, it is about time the Nigerian government considered a return to the era of close collaboration between the Church and the state in the care of her people.
The Cardinal insisted that the Church on her own has serious limits, even as the state is obviously not coping, he called for a renewed and improved collaboration in the best interest of nation’s public services, and for the good of her people, especially of the poor who cannot afford costly private institutions.
He noted that the efforts of Peter Obi’s administration in Anambra State then yielded obvious fruits for all to see and admire.
“I wish to end this homily by bringing us back to the programme of food distribution which Fr. Maurice has undertaken in these days. It is all in line with the concern of the Church for the poor and needy in the parishes.
“This is the experience of most parish priests, as they see the number of people seeking assistance from the parish office growing by the day. However, the scale of the programme of the Gratia Vobis Ministry of Fr. Maurice and his team is quite extraordinary and a challenge to many others, both clergy and laity, at home and in diaspora.
“There may be those who would cynically ask what difference a one-day distribution of food makes to a people in multidimensional poverty. I believe the beneficiaries of the programme of Fr. Maurice will have their answer ready. But as Fr. Maurice himself has said, this is ‘an act of faith, a manifestation of the Jubilee of Hope, and a testament to what God has placed in my heart.'”
Onaiyekan observed that there are many other Nigerian priests, religious and lay faithful in the diaspora who can organise friends and come home to do what Fr. Maurice is now doing, instead of thinking only about their family circle.
He opined that the same is true for priests in Nigeria. “Times may be hard, but we could be more ready to share the little or the big that we have. It may not be for 1000 families. Programmes for 500, 100, 50 or even 10, on a sustained scale can make an impact,” Onaiyekan said.
