The Catholic Bishops of Owerri Ecclesiastical Province have said President Bola Tinubu’s administration has failed to deliver its promised reforms.
The bishops voiced their concerns regarding the current state of Nigeria during a two-day meeting held at the Sacred Heart Pastoral/Retreat Centre in Orlu from July 30 to July 31, 2024.
This meeting, led by Most Rev. Lucius Ugorji and Most Rev. Augustine Echema, culminated in the issuance of a communique addressing various pressing issues affecting the nation.
The bishops highlighted the deteriorating economic conditions in Nigeria, noting that the much-anticipated reforms introduced by the current administration had not delivered the promised renewed hope.
Instead, they noted that inflation has continued to skyrocket, leading to increased hunger and anger among the populace.
“Our nation, Nigeria, continues to face many social and economic challenges that are bringing untold hardship to our people. The reforms that were introduced at the inception of the current administration have not brought the renewed hope promised. Instead, inflation continues to sky-rocket, hunger and anger continue to grow,” the bishops stated.
The bishops also spoke on the nationwide hunger protest by youths.
They acknowledged the legitimacy of the youth’s grievances but noted the possibility of the demonstration being hijacked by miscreants, leading to violence and further destabilisation.
They said, “No doubt, the youth are right to be outraged by the worsening state of our nation.”
The bishops also called for collective introspection and a commitment to strengthening political institutions, improving transparency, and ensuring accountability in public administration.
The clerics stressed that both leadership and followership must work together to address the nation’s challenges effectively.
“Good governance and socio-economic stability will continue to elude us if we, collectively, do not decide to strengthen our political institutions, if we do not improve transparency, efficiency and accountability in all our public institutions. It will be naive for us to imagine that leadership alone can resolve all the issues that bedevil our country,” the communiqué added. .
The bishops urged state governments to organise free and fair local government elections promptly.
They believe that strengthening local governments would engender development closer to the people and foster more grass-roots involvement in the democratic process.
Besides, the bishops called on citizens to make adjustments in their lives, rejecting corrupt practices and embracing their civic responsibilities.
They further urged the people of the South-East to draw inspiration from their resilience after the Nigeria-Biafra War and work collectively to rebuild society.
