- The Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) blames the current poverty and suffering on faulty structures, urging government intervention
- The CBCN also called for the creation of more jobs for unemployed youth and measures to combat resource theft
The Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) has blamed the current state of poverty, hunger, hardship, and suffering on faulty structures.
The failing and worsening economy, according to the Bishop, has continued to make life difficult and difficult for the people, urging the Federal Government to address the fundamentally flawed structures that have deepened inequality and poverty in the country.
The CBCN stated in a communique issued at the conclusion of its second plenary meeting in Abuja that the situation has been exacerbated by the removal of fuel subsidies, which has resulted in high prices for food, transportation, and meeting other essential needs.
The communique, signed by the President, Archbishop Lucius Ugorji, and the Secretary, Bishop Donatus Ogun, was made available to journalists in Ekiti State yesterday by Bishop Felix Ajakaye of the Ekiti Diocese.
The Bishops stated in a communique titled “Religion, Civic Responsibility, and the Building of a Better Nigeria” that the increase in school fees has made it difficult for poor children to continue their education.
We saw the use of palliative measures as a symptom treatment rather than a cure for the disease.
They urged governments at all levels to create an enabling environment for the creation of more jobs for Nigeria’s teeming unemployed youths, as well as to put in place measures to combat the persistent theft of oil and other minerals.
We enjoin the government to radically review programmes aimed at alleviating the suffering of the youths. We equally advise the youth not to resort to violence and crime as a substitute for hard work”
We reject the ever increasing scandalous comfort and remuneration of elected leaders to the detriment of the poor”
We, therefore demand that the government cut the increasing cost of running government in our country and that the money saved be used to provide essential amenities and services, he said.