Says, no leadership in place, as long as a majority of people are not smiling
From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
The Archbishop of Diocese of Kaduna, Anglican Communion, Most Reverend Timothy Yahaya has lambasted the federal government over palliatives secured for Nigerians following fuel subsidy removal, saying it is more of mockery on the sensibilities of the poor masses.
Bishop Yahaya said the palliative the people need should be solid and could stand the test of time, adding that the negative impacts of fuel subsidy removal have rubbished the value of ongoing palliative being distributed across the country.
The Anglican Cleric also noted that there is no leadership in place as long as the majority of the people are not smiling due to socio-economic hardship across the country.
Most Reverend Yahaya who is the fourth Archbishop of Kaduna province of the Anglican communion spoke to Reporters on Sunday shortly before the Thanksgiving Service at the Cathedral of St.Michael, Kaduna over his recent election to the rank of Archbishop.
The event witnessed some bishops and dignitaries from other Dioceses in and outside Kaduna province.
According to Bishop Yahaya, “Our advice is not only to the Christians but to leaders all over the world. Leadership today has become a source of decoration, it is no longer a source of responsibility, I call on all leaders to ensure that at least their followers have some respite in this difficult time of economic conundrums in our country.
“Secondly, leadership should be responsible and responsive to the people. And when the people are smiling, that means there is leadership in place. When the people are crying, leaders are not supposed to be asleep until they ensure that the people are smiling. Let’s be our brothers’ keepers in this difficult time, let’s carry one another’s burdens so that our burdens will be lighter. That is my call to all and sundry.
“So for me, the real palliative is to ensure that our schools are in order, to ensure that our railway lines are in order, to ensure that the insecurity conundrum we are inside is over, to ensure that prices of food in the market are reduced to the bearer minimum so that it can be affordable. One thousand naira cannot buy a loaf of bread, depending on the loaf of bread you are buying.
“They said they have added N35000 naira to worker’s salaries for the next six months, but it still remains bleak for us to know what is going to happen after six months, are we going back to the status quo? Are going to increase more. If we are talking about palliative, we should talk about solid palliative, we should not only ensure that our refineries are running, but the three geopolitical zones should have refineries so that issue of fuel is settled once and for all in our country.
“The moment you removed fuel subsidy the prices of other commodities go higher. What does that mean, it is inflation in all aspects of our economy. And how then do we get palliative. Transportation is a necessity, I thought by now government would have brought in vehicles to reduce transportation cost of movement of goods in the country. Number two; the kind of money coming to government now, I see no reason for excuses from government not to create enabling environment for jobs to thrive, small businesses to thrive in this country.
“I want to thank the federal so far so good for listening to the Labour Union, but I hope they are listening to the poor man. The Labour is not up to 10 percent of our population, and if this is democracy, and when these people were voted, all Nigerians were expected to vote, not only 10 percent of Nigerians. Number one
“We want to make the Kaduna province better than we met it. And we want to make the people feel the impact of the gospel by the end of our tenure”.