The Catholic Bishop of Enugu Diocese, Dr Callistus Onaga, has called on Nigerian politicians and those controlling the affairs of this country to begin to make things easier for the people.
He also appealed to Nigerians to stop adding suffering to fellow Nigerians with the outrageous price hikes in household items during the festivities.
Onaga made the appeal on Tuesday at his 2024 Christmas media briefing held in his office at the Bishop’s Court, Enugu.
He noted that many Nigerians can no longer afford necessities like a tuber of yam, which he said is selling between N4,000 and N5,000 per tuber no matter the size.
He attributed this hardship to the government’s failure to address insecurity, which has prevented people from cultivating their farms.
He said, “In Nigeria of today it is all about suffering. What is happening in the lives of Nigerians within the past year will show you everything about suffering.
“You cannot be telling me that in Nigeria where somebody was buying a tuber of yam for less than N1,000 and in Nigeria today, we are buying a tuber of yam for N4,000, N5 000 and sometimes you cannot even buy.
“And what worsens it is that the same system that is making things difficult for fellow Nigerians made it even difficult for them to go to their farms – insecurity.
“Let us note that very clearly, it becomes very obvious for us Nigerians that the issue of insecurity has not only been politicised but even ethnicised. We are doing a little bit of ethnic cleansing in some areas and then we are blaming the foreigners. No, we are the ones doing it.”
Speaking on the issue in the South East region, Onaga regretted that some people are profiting from the crisis which he said has become more of self-destruction.
“Here in the South East, we started killing ourselves saying that we are killing those who are supposed to be killing us. We are destroying ourselves. We have done it for the past three years since 2021.
“We become cowards of our actions here in the South East. Let’s go over to the North East and all other parts of the North politics and ethnic cleansing,” more especially, Benue State where it has become imperative.
“Why will we sit down and plan our destruction and few people will be profiting with that,” he questioned, drawing a parallel with the sufferings the Israelites passed through in the olden days.
“I thank whatever government that think is thinking right for us but let them think correctly. If you are trying to improve the economic situation of the country you don’t do everything at the same time. We have kept quiet for some time now,” he regretted.
He also decried the cashless policy that has compounded the sufferings of Nigerians.
He added, “You cannot be making it difficult for people to get money because you said you are doing the so-called cashless restructure that is not there and you gave the same money they are getting to go and buy again. What kind of economy are we copying? Where has it ever been done in the world? In the meantime, we have regularised the naira no matter how they want to talk about it, that the dollar will always be higher here in Nigeria.
“If it is not artificial, tell me why during certain fests – some religious fests in this country the price of the dollar will come suddenly down. If you want to tell me that the removal of oil subsidy will help the economy, my dear brothers who are piloting the affairs of this country, we have done it for how many months now? Where are we? Neither the security nor the food supply, nor even the things God gave us in this country – crude oil is nowhere to be found and you’re telling me you have wonderful economic policy. And the World Bank and everybody will be applauding you.
“Has it ever happened in their own country? And you want us to hail you and say that you are doing fantastically well. What have we not experienced in this country – structural adjustment, austerity measures, now it is oil subsidy measure. What is happening? So we are just like the Israelites of old seeking for a Messiah. Can God give us a Messiah? At this Christmas, we are hoping that things will be better. Can our politicians think otherwise and begin to make things easier? Will our politicians begin to believe that we the led have some measure of intelligence?”
