In an emotional appeal, the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, has pleaded with the president to take away the cross of suffering and insecurity that Nigerians have had to carry for some time out of compulsion.
Bishop Kukah interwove his appeal with his Easter Sunday sermon delivered on the 20th of April, calling the attention of the president to the lamentable condition of the nation.
Kukah unequivocally stated in his message that the citizens of the country need to be protected from “marauders, murderers, savages, and ravenous predators” with their avowed desires to make the nation insufferable.
Bishop Kukah’s sermon also touched on the complexities surrounding insecurity in Nigeria, citing states like Benue and Plateau as examples.
He furthered his speech with a submission that the insecurity challenges are no fault of the president, realistically speaking, but he owes the nation the ability to address them.
His words:
โMr. President, hunger, sickness and desolation stalk the land. We still believe removing the subsidies was the right decision. However, we note that the country now has a huge volume of resources in its domestic reserves. Yet, the people continue to suffer.”
โPalliatives are not the solution. They merely serve as a temporary fix and diminish the dignity of the people. It is time we make food security a fundamental human right for every citizen. Mr. President, please bring us down from this painful cross of hunger.”
โToday, we have watched as the cancer of insecurity and violence has metastasised. This cancer now threatens the very foundation of our common humanity. The situation is dire, and if left unchecked, it will continue to erode the very fabric of our nation.”
“Across the entire country, every day, innocent citizens are kidnapped and held under the most inhuman conditions.”
โA dark pall of death hangs languidly from north to south. It is impossible to find a home, a family, or a community that has not been affected by this savagery.”
โMr. President, Nigeria is reaching a breaking point. Our nation is becoming a huge national morgue. With a greater sense of urgency, please hasten to bring us down from this cross of evil.”
โMr. President, we all admit that you neither erected this cross nor did you affect our collective crucifixion.”
“But Nigerians have been dangling and bleeding on this cross of pain and mindless suffering for too long. It is time for change.”
About the Author
