26/12/2024
Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Mathew Hassan Kukah, has blamed the government for the hunger crisis that led to recent stampedes in Abuja, Oyo, and Anambra States, claiming innocent lives during food distribution.
In his Christmas message, Bishop Kukah criticised the government’s inaction, describing the tragedies as a “metaphor for the situation of despair” gripping the nation.
“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,” he stated.
He urged the government to collaborate with institutions committed to societal welfare and ensure citizens live with dignity.
The Bishop also reflected on Nigeria’s progress since independence, stating that the nation continues to “walk in darkness” due to entrenched issues such as ethnicity, nepotism, and greed.
“Our journey to greatness is still severely constrained by the forces of ethnicity, nepotism, and greed,” he remarked, adding that these forces exacerbate feelings of exclusion and violence among citizens.
Bishop Kukah also addressed barriers to youth participation in politics, citing the high cost of running for office as a persistent challenge, despite the passage of the Not Too Young to Run Bill.
On education, he commended the government for introducing loan schemes but stressed the importance of extending such opportunities to vocational and technical students while removing bureaucratic obstacles.
“In future, poverty should not exclude anyone from a good education. We encourage the youth to seize this opportunity with both hands,” he said.
While acknowledging progress in combating insecurity, he called for a detailed national security plan addressing unemployment and religious extremism to ensure lasting peace.
“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 added.
Bishop Kukah’s message served as both a critique of government shortcomings and a call to action for a brighter and more inclusive future for Nigeria.
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