CBCN to FG: Your reforms has made it difficult for Average Nigerians to access basic Commodities

By Christiana Ekpa

The President of the Catholic Bishop Conference of Nigeria (CBCN),Most Rev. Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji, as inform the Government on the negative effect of it economic reforms on citizenry and the need for authorities to act urgently as the situation bite harder, Most Rev Ugorji in his opening speech Stated this at the beginning Session of the 2024 First Plenary Assembly of the CBCN at the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria Resource Centre, yesterday in Abuja, His Lordship also said the issue of Same Sex Union blessing in the Church is not possible not just in Nigeria but in Africa.
““The reform agenda of the present government has added to the plight of Nigerians. With the withdrawal of fuel subsidies and the unification of the foreign exchange market, there has been a sharp increase in the pump price of petroleum products and a steep decline in the value of the Naira. Indeed, there is a free fall of the national currency. High spiralling inflation has made it difficult for the average Nigerian to access basic commodities, including food items and medication. As a result of the government’s reform agenda, millions of Nigerians have been reduced to a life of grinding poverty, wanton suffering, and untold hardship as never before in our national history. In a bid to survive, an increasing number of the poor have resorted to begging. With more than 80 million Nigerians living under the poverty line of less than two dollars a day, our country, according to the recent disclosure of the World Bank, is the world’s second-largest poor population after India. While many impoverished Nigerians continue to suffer and die as a result of the hardship caused by the government’s economic reforms, the president has continued to urge the populace to make even more and more sacrifices with the assurance that brighter days lay ahead, If we cast a cursory glance at the present state of our nation, we are inclined to conclude that this seems to be the worst of times for our country in the areas of security and the economy. Despite the huge sums of money appropriated monthly as security votes, our communities have continued to experience persistent insecurity”.
“As the government demands additional sacrifice from the struggling masses, one would expect to see a drastic cut in the cost of running the government at all levels. on the contrary, it is worrisome to watch top government functionaries living by the sweat, toil and tears of the poor. They continue spending huge public funds on ostentatious and luxurious lifestyles and seem incapable of feeling compassion at the outcry of the poor. It is no less worrisome to note that corruption among many public servants has gone beyond scale and measure. Corruption is a complex reality involving moral rottenness, defilement and loss of integrity. In Nigeria, it spans a wide spectrum, ranging from book- cooking, foreign exchange (FX) arbitrage, over-pricing, and over- invoicing to embezzlement, money laundering, forgery, and all sorts of manipulation, We cannot easily overlook the sordid roles of many fraudulent politicians and Bank Executives”.
“The situation is worsened by the high unemployment rate in the country. Many of our youths are deeply wounded and degraded by unemployment and poverty, which make them feel rejected by the very society into which they were born. Consequently, thousands of them seek relief from drugs and alcohol and eventually end up in violent crimes. In search of greener pastures, many others try to migrate to foreign lands, where hard times often await them. Regrettably, an extensive brain drain continues in this way in our nation, where manpower is needed to revamp the ailing economy and foster national development. In the midst of the frenzy to “japa” abroad for better job opportunities, many young Nigerians fall easy prey to human traffickers, who traffic them abroad for sexual exploitation and cheap labour”.
“The government’s reform efforts to rejig the security architecture of our country have woefully failed to plug the many loopholes in the system. They have remained non-proactive and ineffective in checking oil theft, kidnapping, and senseless bloodshed across the country. The recent massacre of over 200 citizens in Plateau State and the rising incidents of kidnapping across the country reveal how fruitless the government’s reform efforts have been in securing its citizens. In the face of increasing violent crimes, the country stands on the brink of anarchy. So, the government should take urgent steps to rise to its primary responsibility of securing the lives and property of its citizens. The government does not need to reinvent the wheel since it can easily learn from what other nations do to provide adequate security for its citizens. It goes without saying that there cannot be any meaningful development in any country without adequate security.
It will be belabouring the obvious to state that security in our country will remain a tall dream if mass unemployment exists among our youths.

“ However In 18 December 2023 by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, has added to our pains. While this document prohibits liturgical blessings for “same-sex” couples, it recommends at the same time” “spontaneous” pastoral blessings for couples in “irregular situations”, including the blessing of “same-sex couples”. It stresses that such pastoral blessings should not be imparted “in concurrence with the ceremonies of a civil union, and not even in connection with them. Nor can it be performed with any clothing, Given the ambiguities in the Declaration, the document quickly aroused mixed reactions of acceptance, sceptical reserve and outright rejection from Episcopal Conferences and individual bishops across the world. Documents from the Holy See should normally foster unity and communion among Bishops on matters of doctrine, morals and liturgy. Unfortunately, Fiducia Supplicans tends to hurt the unity and catholicity of the Church. With the media hype that ambushed the text, its publication generated shock, outrage and disbelief among the faithful in our country as elsewhere in Africa and other parts of the world. Many devout Catholics in our communities seriously wonder how a priest could bless same-sex couples who live permanently in a sinful union without causing confusion and scandal, In the midst of this confusion and pushback, we must, as pastors with the pastoral task of safeguarding the deposit of faith in its purity and integrity, uphold the teaching of the Church based on Holy Scripture and Tradition.

. “In line with our earlier Clarification and the Declaration of SECAM, we must continue to teach our faithful that there is no possibility of blessing same-sex couples or same-sex unions in the Church in Africa.Homosexual acts are acts of grave depravity, which are intrinsically disordered and, above all, contrary to natural law, In furtherance of our pastoral and prophetic mission, we must also continue to stress that God loves the sinner unconditionally and calls him to repentance so that he might While looking forward to their contributions to our Conference, I wish all of us a fruitful Episcopal ministry and I consider it a privilege to declare this plenary assembly open”.

Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu has call on prayers from the Church for peaceful and a prosperous Nation, represented at the occasion by the secretary to the Government of Federation (SGF), Sen. George Akume in his remark call on our Citizens to be patient as the Government is working hard to meet the aspirations and the needs of Nigerians.