Bishop Mark Nzukwein of Wukari Catholic Diocese in Taraba has called upon Caritas-Nigeria, the Catholic Church’s charity agency, to focus on peace-building initiatives to reunite Nigeria’s warring communities.
Nzukwein, at the agency’s 14th anniversary celebration on Sunday in Abuja, tasked Caritas-Nigeria with expanding its mandate beyond health and humanitarian interventions to include data collection on the effects of poverty.
“I implore Caritas-Nigeria to prioritise peace-building; our nation is fragmented. These conflicts are largely driven by division.
“They will need to prioritise peace, peace education, and data gathering.
“Our people endure immense hardship, yet the true scale of their suffering, driven by poverty, ineffective administration, and various other factors, remains unknown.
“I believe Caritas-Nigeria can make a significant impact in capacity building, peace education, and more.”
The bishop also appealed to the government and wealthy Nigerians to partner with Caritas-Nigeria to support the most vulnerable and disaster-stricken individuals.
Nzukwein said since its inception, Caritas-Nigeria had aided 10 million Nigerians and foreigners, with Wukari diocese benefiting significantly amidst Taraba’s violent crises. (NAN)
