The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Hassan Kukah, has issued a heartfelt plea to President Bola Tinubu to take urgent and decisive action to rescue Nigeria from what he described as the grip of murderers, ravenous predators, and a deepening culture of savagery.
In his Easter message, Bishop Kukah appealed to President Tinubu, “to step up. Break the silence. Lead from the front. Bring us down from these crosses of shame, hunger, and hopelessness.”
He lamented that years of violence and state failure have turned Nigeria into a battlefield where the dignity of human life is routinely undermined.
“We are gradually losing our place among the comity of civilised nations. Each day, families wake to news of kidnappings, killings, and disappearances. The entire country has become a theatre of grief,” he added.
The Bishop noted that while Tinubu did not create the current crisis, the responsibility to fix it lies with him.
“Mr. President, you did not place this cross upon us, but Nigerians have been hanging from it for too long. The blood of the innocent cries out daily, and despair now haunts every corner of this nation,” he said.
Speaking on the economic hardship confronting Nigerians, Kukah acknowledged the rationale behind the fuel subsidy removal but warned that the resulting hardship was eroding the dignity of citizens.
“We believe subsidy removal was necessary. However, increased revenue must translate into real relief for the people. It is insulting to reduce our national suffering to temporary palliatives. Mr. President, hunger, sickness, and desolation now stalk the land. Food security must be treated as a fundamental human right,” the respected cleric lamented.
Bishop Kukah further decried the increasing threat to farming communities, describing agriculture as “one of the most dangerous occupations in Nigeria today.”
He also recalled revelations by some politicians who admitted in the past to bringing armed groups into the country for political gains, a move that he said has since metastasized into a national cancer.
“What started as a selfish strategy has become a raging inferno threatening to consume us all. Banditry and terror have woven themselves into the daily fabric of Nigerian life, threatening to destroy the social glue that holds our communities together,” he said.
The cleric also questioned the apparent helplessness of Nigeria’s security institutions in dealing with the situation. “Are we facing a lack of capacity, or are there people benefitting from the chaos? Have we become sacrificial lambs offered to a strange god?” he queried.
Despite the grim picture, the bishop expressed faith in the nation’s ability to turn things around. “We believe all is not lost. The resurrection of Christ is a symbol of hope and renewal. Now is the time to reclaim our nation from darkness and rebuild a country anchored in justice, peace, and dignity.”
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