•Tinubu and terrorists
As Christians in the country join other faithful across the globe to celebrate Easter, Nigerian clerics have taken a swipe at their political leaders over alleged broken promises and lack of will to prioritise the security of lives and property.
They expressed their bitterness in their separate Easter messages to Nigerians, noting that because they fail to tackle insecurity and protect communities, they should not bother to issue any hypocritical Easter message to Nigerians until decisive action is taken, reports Saturday Guardian.
Those who expressed their views to our correspondent include the Catholic Bishop of Oyo Diocese, Most Reverend (Dr) Emmanuel Adetoyese Badejo; Methodist Bishop and Archbishop of Umuahia, His Grace, The Most Reverend (Dr) Chibuzo Raphael Opoko; Archbishop of Onitsha and Metropolitan Onitsha Ecclesiastical Province, Most Reverend (Dr) Valerian Okeke and Archbishop of Ecclesiastical Province of Aba, and Bishop of Isiala Ngwa South Diocese Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Most Reverend (Dr) Isaac Nwaobia.
Badejo condemned leaders who promise and do not deliver, and politicians who are busy holding rallies and conventions while Nigerians are being slaughtered in their thousands.
He wondered how Nigeria, which he described as the most populous country in Africa, has become “so wickedly helpless while criminality escalates.”
He said President Bola Tinubu must speak clearly and act urgently on his position and mandate, noting that Nigerians are simply fed up with empty promises, condolences and apologies.
Citing Pope Leo XIV’s words on Palm Sunday that God does not listen to the prayers of war mongers, Badejo said: “On that same day, innocent Nigerians were massacred in Jos, Kaduna and now Zamfara, among others. God will not listen to leaders who watch their subjects die needlessly, either. Jesus has not risen at all in the lives of such leaders who look on while avoidable death is inflicted on innocent Nigerians?”
He stated that Nigeria’s current situation is evil, adding that only evil people are not moved by what is happening in the country.
He noted that Jesus Christ brought life, stating that no hypocritical Easter greeting should be issued this time from the lips of leaders who had failed to protect Nigerians.
“Let no pharisaic wishes be made by traitorous leaders who by their failure waste the lives of our soldiers, our women and our children. This time, only one Easter wish is acceptable, and that is decisive security of Nigerian lives and decisive action to crush the killers of our compatriots – whoever they may be. All leaders in Nigeria must find a solution to this mess and add value to Nigerian lives.”
Opoko said that Nigeria is bleeding seriously, stressing that to rise to national glory, Nigerian leaders must first crucify the self.
He noted that Easter, which marks the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the grave, is not just a holiday, but the ultimate blueprint for national regeneration.
Calling on those in the corridors of power to prioritise security of lives, Opoko said that Nigeria’s bleeding started from the hills of the North to the forests of the South, adding that the soil is soaked with innocent blood.
He said, “We cannot continue to chant ‘Alleluia’ while our brothers and sisters are being buried due to unnecessary killings and religious conflicts. I challenge those in positions of power to know that the long queues of armoured convoys obstructing the path of the suffering masses are not signs of greatness; they are symptoms of a disconnect from the people. Reckless spending of public funds while the average Nigerian struggles to afford basic necessities is unacceptable.”
Opoko lamented that Nigerians are suffering under greed, self-aggrandisement, nepotism, corruption, immorality, reckless spending and violence, adding that politics has become a do-or-die affair, while security of lives and property are often neglected.
He said that the mismanagement of public resources and display of power at the expense of the people reflect misplaced priorities.
According to him, a nation that is built on greed, nepotism and favouritism cannot endure.
While reminding Nigerian leaders that power is a trust to protect lives, not a weapon to destroy them, Opoko admonished the political class to see power as a responsibility, not a privilege, and to ensure their decisions reflect care, foresight, and genuine concern for the welfare of Nigerians.
He urged security agencies to prioritise the protection of lives and property over personal or political gain.
On his part, Nwaobia reminded the federal government and all leaders in authority that Easter is a call to responsible, sacrificial, and people-centred leadership, urging them to prioritise the security of lives and property across the nation.
He said that persistent attacks on innocent communities, especially in Northern Nigeria, are deeply troubling and demand urgent, decisive, and sustained action.
Enjoining governments at all levels to rise to their constitutional responsibilities by strengthening security architecture, ensuring justice for victims, and restoring confidence among citizens, Nwaobia said no nation could thrive where fear reigns.
He also expressed his concerns about the recent hike in the pump price of petrol, adding that it had placed an unbearable burden on Nigerians and worsened the already fragile economic situation.
He called on the government to urgently revisit its policy, considering its far-reaching impact on transportation, food prices, and the overall well-being of citizens.
Describing Easter as the cornerstone of the Christian faith through which Christians obtain victory of life over death, light over darkness, and hope over despair, Nwaobia advised Christians in Nigeria to live transformed lives marked by righteousness, love, and unwavering faith; and extend compassion to the weak and vulnerable.
Okeke bemoaned the lack of unfulfilled promises, insecurity, lawlessness, joblessness, disregard for due process, among others, saying that Nigerians need faith to draw near to God.
He emphasised that faith without works is dead.
He said: “Faith beckons us to do our duties with dedication, with truthfulness and integrity. When we do our duties in faith and follow it up with prayers, God will lift us up beyond human abilities. Jesus Christ assures us that if we have faith, we can move mountains (cf. Mtt. 17:21). Faith shows itself in good works.”
“In Nigeria today, we need to walk by faith, nourished by prayers and good works. Therefore, I urge you, dear brothers and sisters, let us move in faith and prayers and never lose hope.”
Also, the Anglican Bishop of Enugu Diocese, Rt. Revd. Prof. Samuel Ike has condemned the spate of insecurity in the country.
He decried the Global Terrorism Index released two weeks ago, which ranked Nigeria as the fourth most terror-affected country.
In an Easter Message he shared with journalists in Enugu, he lamented that the nation has continued on a negative sphere in spite of its natural endowments, stressing that the teeming population was becoming disillusioned.
He added that killings, kidnappings, banditry, among others, had continued despite the huge amounts budgeted yearly on security, urging the government to make urgent efforts to protect the people.
“Our posers and pleas to our government, especially the presidency, for the umpteenth time are: Where are the much-touted digital and drone intelligence and the high-cost Tucano Jets? What has become of the State Police creation, as adopted? Why the frantic lobbying efforts and humungous amounts in dollars being spent in Washington and London to change the narrative, push out propaganda and suppress and deny the reality of more active engagement of America and Trump’s government in frontally solving this existential threat of terrorism and insurgency and Christian genocide in our dear nation?”
Ike further rued the economic difficulty Nigerians have been subjected to by the ongoing war in the Middle East that has resulted in an astronomical rise in the pump prices of petrol and diesel.
Explaining that the country had no business suffering due to the war, he queried the inability to put several local refineries to effective use, even with the several billions of naira voted for their turnaround and reactivation.
Reflecting on the message of Easter, he charged Christians to imbibe the virtues of Jesus Christ, who gave his life for the rest of mankind, stressing that they should become “change agents” to a dying, needy and decaying humanity.
He said that the supreme sacrifice of Jesus Christ is that instead of the incessant shedding of human blood, wanton and unnecessary wastage of lives by terrorism, banditry, ritual killings and kidnapping, Nigerians and the world at large should embrace lasting peace.
