Save citizens from slipping deeper into poverty, Catholic Bishops tell Tinubu
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Catholic clergy have again reminded Bola Tinubu to rescue citizens from multidimensional poverty by investing in social and economic buffers rather than deploying presidential powers to throw public funds around to oil re-election machine, besides condoning other forms of leakages, including contract fraud and outright stealing of cash from the treasury.
The Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) told him to listen to the yearnings of the masses – expressed in the recent hunger protest – and take a holistic review of economic policies and programmes to lift Nigerians out of poverty quagmire.
CBCN President Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji made the appeal in a homily at the ordination of 11 priests at Maria Assumpta Cathedral, Owerri, stressing the negative impact of poorly implemented fuel subsidy withdrawal and floating the naira.
“The President of any country ought to be a listening and compassionate leader. I don’t want to talk about the hunger protest in detail but we cannot continue to keep quiet,” Ugorji said.
“Credible reports have it that the protest has claimed so many lives and caused properties worth millions of naira, to be destroyed or looted. We do not know how many people that will die in the days ahead, if the protest continues.
“In protesting, the people were just exercising their constitutional right by assembling and expressing their feelings of anger and concern over bad governance in the country.
“It is obvious that people do not only march on the streets to express their anger, but also engage in other actions. Indeed, it remains a truism that action speaks louder than words.
“Despite all petitions and pleas, our young people decided to go to the streets to say they are dying of hunger and hardship. It is a very serious matter and government should see it as such. The protesters, by their actions, also demanded attentive listening to what they are saying.
“To listen to what the youngsters are saying, government should rely on the prevailing amount of rising prices of everything needed for living.”
Floating the naira
Citing the free fall of the naira, Ugorji stressed, “This is another of President Tinubu’s economic policy that has sadly degenerated to hyperinflation.
“Floating of the nation’s currency amounts to devaluation of the naira. The President removed fuel subsidy and surreptitiously devalued the naira.
“He devalued the currency used in paying workers and still want the workers to continue to work at the same amount that was agreed when the naira had a higher value.
Negative impact of poorly implemented fuel subsidy removal
“When the President removed petroleum subsidy, he should have been aware that it will come with ugly consequences because everything revolves around transportation.
“Government ought to have known that production of goods and services largely relies on fuel. Currently, the prices of everything have risen astronomically and people have been reduced to multi-dimensional poverty.
“Simply explained, poverty means not having access to what you need to survive each day …. Food may be available but definitely not affordable.
“In this day and age, people can no longer afford things they are used to and the standard of living has drastically reduced to zero per cent.
“I am adding my voice to the voices of those who have already called on the President to address the demands of the young people, for peace to reign.
“If government says they are listening to the people, then it should immediately address these problems.
“We are also told that government is trying to cushion the effect of the current hardship by distributing palliatives and remittance of money into people’s bank accounts. I don’t know how many people that have received it.”
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