Nigeria sitting on ticking time bomb under Tinubu – Catholic bishops


The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), has described the state of the nation under the watch of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as worrisome.

President of the Catholic Body, the Archbishop of Owerri and the President Catholic Bishop Conference of Nigeria, Most Rev. Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji, stated this in his welcome address at the opening Session of 2024 second Plenary Assembly of the (CBCN), declared that Nigeria is presently “sitting on a ticking time bomb”.

The Conference is holding in Auchi, Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State.

The Catholic Body of Bishops warned that the Nigerian rulers should be ready to contend with more protests by the youths as long as the issues of poverty, hardship and corruption continue to be the lots of Nigerian youths.

This is even as they expressed grave concern over the nation’s growing debt burden.

They further noted that servicing huge debts to international monetary agencies and sourcing for funds internally to balance budget deficit led to the economic reforms of Mr President, consisting mainly in the withdrawal of fuel subsidies and the floating of naira.

Ugorji while declaring the Conference opened, said the future of the nation is dependent on how the challenges bedeviling it is tackled by the rulers.

Commenting on the state of nation, the cleric said: “On August 4th, 2024, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, enumerated the achievements of his administration.

“While we recognise that notable progress has been made in some sectors or our national life, we cannot fail to admit that the present state of the nation is worrisome, even though insecurity remains one of our major challenges.

“As our national economy continues to decline and continue to reduce millions to a life of multidimensional poverty and untold hardship, the Nigerian youths embarked on a nation-wide protest tagged #EndBadGovernance from 1 to 10th August 2024.

“The protest was aimed at publicly voicing out their disappointment and frustration on the ills bedeviling the nation. Although Nigerians have the constitutional right to express their grievances through peaceful protests, there was widespread concern that the protest could be hijacked by miscreants.

“Likewise we condemn in strong terms the killing of some protesting youths by security operatives. We pray for the happy repose of the dead, the speedy recovery of the injured and the consolation of the bereaved.

“We wish to stress that as long as the nation is afflicted with poverty, hardship and corruption, and as long as the future of youths in our nation remains bleak, we continue to reckon with youth protest.

Rather than address the risk g tide of ill trying to drown the nation, some government [officials] are busy passing the buck and looking for scapegoats.

 “We are indeed sitting on a ticking time-bomb as security operatives try to crack down on some of those involved and their sponsors on perceived trumped up charges, raising concern whether they are trying to strip citizens of their democratic rights and freedoms to protests or give the impression that everything in the country was fine and there was really no need for the protest. This is delusional and condemnable.”

Commenting on the increasing debt burden, Ugorji noted that “millions of vulnerable Nigerians are now trapped in living conditions, which are affront to human dignity.

Indeed, for the present and future generations of our people , the debt burden has turned out to be new form of enslavement, causing pain, despair and death.”

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