Some desperate politicians may be preparing grounds to instigate religious and ethnic tensions in the country, ahead of the 2023 general elections.
The Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, Most Rev (Dr) Ignatius Kaigama, expressed the concerns while delivering his (third Sunday of Easter) homily at St. Peter’s Pastoral Area in Jiwa, Abuja.
Specifically, Archbishop Kaigama said politicians have begun “expensive strategizing and campaigns about who should be President, or Governors or Senators”.
This was as he regretted that poor governance, growing insecurity, among other prevailing realities in the country, have continued to force youths to seek greener pastures outside.
His Grace, nonetheless, enjoined Christians to take consolation in the resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter, assuring that darkness will give way to light some day.
According to him,the same Christ, who walked with his disciples on the way to Emmaus, will journey with those who trust in him.
“Even before 2023 comes, expensive strategizing and campaigns about who should be President, or Governors or Senators have kick-started in earnest, while strategies to improve the welfare of over two hundred million Nigerians are in the back burner. Some are prepared to pitch the two dominant religions in Nigeria against each other or the North against the South”, Archbishop Kaigama said.
He further stated: “Today, our collective and individual experiences in Nigeria have forced especially some of our youth to embark on a sad journey to “Emmaus” in the Diaspora, with the hope of finding greener pastures; driven away from where they call home by an inhospitable social environment of corrupt governance, which robs them of their rights and privileges, as well as a high insecurity as manifested in the daily killings, kidnappings, etc.
“Like the disciples of Emmaus, who said “we had hoped…” (Lk. 24:21), our youths had hoped for a better country, a nation meeting their material and social needs, but their hopes seem to be dashed by poor governance and the insensitivity of leaders to issues of equity and merit.
“Since independence, successive democratic and military leaders kept promising poverty alleviation by improving socio-economic conditions, but after over sixty years, we are not only still poor, but terribly unsafe”.
On the issue of misgovernance and iits negative implication, he stated thus:very “Many Nigerians in the face of poverty and social deprivation understandably feel deserted and betrayed by Government and have become apathetic or cynical to social or political issues.
“Our consolation is that Jesus still walks with His disciples as He did on the way to Emmaus. To all Nigerians, we say, once there is life, there is hope. The best will come someday, somehow, by the grace of God, to supersede the current seemingly hopeless situation”.
