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From Felix Ikem, Nsukka
The Catholic Bishop of Nsukka Diocese of Enugu State, Bishop Godfrey Onah, has lambasted President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration for deliberately allowing Nigeria to crumble under his watch.
Onah, said this in a homely recently at St. Theresa’s Catholic Cathedral, Nsukka while reacting to the gruesome murder of Daborah Samuel, a student of Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto State over alleged blasphemy on Prophet Mohammed.
He expressed his displeasure over what he described as lawless and stateless state of the country. This was even as he lamented how the ruling All Progressive Congress party raked in N26.3b for presidential nomination forms but claimed to have no money for proper funding of education as well as meeting ASUU demands to enable students back to school.
“My dear friends, I would have preferred not to be here today to preach to you. I would have preferred to lock myself in my chapel before God alone, to weep and to pray.
“To weep and pray for my nation where darkness has descended. To weep and pray for my church that is being folded out of existence in the world and also in Nigeria.
“To weep and pray for Deborah who was killed because she found herself in a part of Nigeria she thought was home, but it wasn’t.
“To weep and pray for my brother and friend, Bishop Hassan kukah, the world acclaimed voice of the voiceless who has now become soft target for those same voiceless people who see him as part of their problem rather than part of their solution.
To weep and to pray for the poor miserable murderer of Deborah who have been left uneducated and unemployed deliberately so that they can be brainwashed, instrumentalized for the political end by religious bigots and political egoists.
“To weep and to pray for our political leaders under whose watch the country has crumbled and they look for who to blame on the mess which they have put all of us,” he said.
Speaking further, the clergyman noted that it has become difficult for him to preach love, peace and forgiveness in Nigeria due to high level of violence and corruption in the country.
“But how can you preach love in a country where violence has become a rule? A country where corruption has become a norm and tradition, where impunity has become law, where the government feels so helpless that it is now appealing to religious leaders to talk to non-state actors not to make the security situation in our country worst.
“Those were the words of the Vice President when he spoke to all Bishops of Catholic Church in West Africa fortnight ago.
“Nigeria has crumbled and collapsed under the watch of this present government. It is the sad reality we have now found ourselves in.
“And we are wondering how the presidency publicly admit that they have lost control, that they have left the ground so free a d the country so lawless and stateless that non state actors now take over the entire country.
“How can you preach love few have collected what belong to everybody, and they are doing with it whatever they like.
“How can I tell the Nigeria students to love their neighbours, country and leaders when their parents have paid their school fees and they are seating at home in a country where the ruling party within a space of two weeks rake in from 27 persons the sum of N26.3b collected as fees for presidential nomination forms and the same ruling party is unable to finance our education properly such that our teachers are at home and our students are rooming the street.
“How can you preach love in Nigeria where ASUU have collaborated with INEC to install misfits in power in this country because they have collected money.
“How do you preach love in a country where forgiveness is regarded as weakness, and when you bring light you will be accused of exposing darkness,” he said.
