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By Cosmas Omegoh
The Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Most Rev. Alfred Adewale Martins, has admonished the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led Federal Government and all political leaders across the country to give Nigerians good reasons to smile in 2024.
In a release issued by Rev. Fr. Anthony Godonu, Director of Social Communication of the archdiocese, Archbishop Martins recalled that 2023 was characterised by untold hardship for millions of Nigerians due to the high cost of essential commodities and so enjoined the government to make more concerted effort to use all resources available, even across party lines in order to fashion out policies that would help alleviate the untold hardship that majority of Nigerians are going through.
He said: “The increase in the pump price of petroleum products and the drastic loss in the value of the naira, among other factors, have grossly affected the purchasing power of most Nigerians and they are finding it difficult to keep their heads above water.
“This, along with the insecurity in the country, has led many best brains in the country to be sucked out of the country as they yield to the Japa syndrome. “Those of us who remain are struggling to breathe, as they say. This is unacceptable. As we enter into the year 2024, we call on government, at all levels, to lock its focus on economic policies that would help to rejig the economy and bring solace to the impoverished masses. Government must listen to the cries of poor Nigerians.
Oftentimes, political expediency and patronage militate against even good policies. So, we expect that if President Tinubu wishes to write his name in gold, he must begin from now to use all resources available, human, and material, and not allow politics and political expediency to stand in the way of common good and the welfare of the majority. All that Nigerians ask for is working out policies that would bring down the high cost of foodstuff, reduce transportation costs, and provide gainful employment for the jobless, especially the youths.”
The Archbishop challenged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the state governors, and members of the national and state legislatures to take the lead in making the sacrifices they expect of the people by reducing the cost of governance and the many travels that do not bring much good to the day-to-day life of the people.
Cases in point, according to him, are the number of vehicles being purchased for government officials by the National Assembly and Executives arms of government, especially. The other case in point is the sheer number of people that attend international meetings and turn them into jamborees.
On another note, Archbishop Martins, while urging Nigerians to cooperate with their leaders to ensure peace and economic stability in the New Year, once again appealed to government to urgently address lingering wage-related issues that concern Nigerian workers, particularly resident doctors, and university lecturers, amongst several others.
