From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
The Archbishop of Kaduna Catholic Diocese, Most Reverend Matthew Manoso Ndagoso, has said that hunger and poverty allegedly occasioned by federal government bad policies have forced Nigerians into compulsory fasting by going to bed with empty stomachs.
Bishop Ndagoso noted that the situation is even worst for Christians of Catholic extraction who are currently observing the Biblical Lenten season, fasting, praying and giving alms, adding that with government induced fasting, Catholics are worst for it during this season.
Fielding questions from reporters shortly after his homily on Ash Wednesday, the Clergy man explained that, “Lenten season is actually a season we share love, pray, not only for ourselves but we pray for everybody. We fast and when we fast, our fast should benefit those who don’t have, and that is why we give alms”.
On the state of the nation, Bishop Ndagoso said, “Today in Nigeria, government policies have forced people to fast, going to bed with hunger. This is because government policies are badly conceived and implemented. So I am saying that Nigerians are already fasting but this kind of fasting is a forced one by the policies that our political leaders have been initiating. So given where we are, people are suffering, people are hungry.
“Unfortunately, our country had never had it as bad as it is today. The fasting today is the fasting that we decided to do for the love of God and the love of our brothers and sisters. But Nigerians are going through compulsory fasting. The country is where it is because of ineffective leaders. It is really terrible. I was in the village and I just came back, you can see how Nigerians are suffering because of badly conceived policies. For example, I think where we are today, even though President Tinubu did not create the situation, his policies have compounded the problems.”
Commenting on the removal of fuel subsidy, the Catholic Cleric said the removal should have been done in phases so that the people wouldn’t have felt the pains so much.
“The removal of the fuel subsidy; if for nearly three decades Nigerians have been with the fuel subsidy and we didn’t collapse, but when you removed it without planning on ground, people are bound to suffer. It should have been removed in phases. Nigerians should have been asked to pay N300 in the first phase, then by another year, it can be moved to N400. So prepare the mind of the people. You put structures in place that help Nigerians to absolve . And after a year you increase it, so in the two or three years you now remove the subsidy. By that time Nigerians must have prepared for the removal.
“Somebody who has been an alcoholic for 15 years, to help the person, you don’t just say he should stop drinking one day. If you do that you will destroy or kill the person. So you have to win the person gradually from drinking. Otherwise you kill the person instantly. This is what the federal government has done to Nigerians. Removing the fuel subsidy instantly and then hiking the prices of everything.
“To make matter worst, see what they have done, the free floating of the naira. Now our local currency is becoming like Zimbabwe dollars. It is getting to a point where you will need a basket of naira to a loaf of bread. Even if all other things are addressed, insecurity will not allow farmers to go to the farms freely. I traveled to the village the other day, I had to travel with trucks load of military men. The night I left the village, the terrorists entered there and kidnapped four persons. This is where we are.
“The federal government should put resources together and detect these criminals even if they are under the water, with technology they can be detected. Our leaders must take the blame and do something about it. While Nigerians are being killed, billions of money are being siphon by government officials, and telling us to exercise patience over suffering. We may all die before we see the promised land they are promising us. So government must wake do something fast about the situation”.
Bishop Ndagoso explained the benefits of the Lenten season, saying, “The Lenten season prepare us to celebrate the Pascal mysteries, namely, the agony, death, burial and resurrection of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Because without that there would have been no Christianity and therefore it is actually the heart of Christianity, the resurrection.
“And therefore, importance as it is for us as a church, in order to be able to celebrate that feast, the mother of all feast, we prepare ourselves spiritually in order for us to be in the right mood for us to do that. And therefore we begin it with ash Wednesday. And of course, you can see that ashes are poured on our foreheads to remind us that we are mortals, we are human beings, we will die. You know, Jesus as a true man, he suffered and died. He died and rose from the dead. And this is what we prepare to celebrate.
“The message to us as His followers is that, as He suffered, as He died, as He was buried, as He rose, if we followed His foot steps, carry His cross because He told us that anyone who want to suffer should carry his cross and follow Him.The message is clear that if we follow His foot steps and take the steps that He took while on earth, suffered for the truth, the just and for what is right, we will rise triumphantly as He rose triumphantly. This is just to remind us that this world is not our home, we shall die one day. We are just passing through this world. Therefore we should constantly remind ourselves that we are sinners and the need to repent.
“Therefore those who are blessed by God should share their fasting proceeds with those who are in need. If you do that it means you are returning the love that God has shown you and I by giving us His only son who gave up His life for us. So this what this Lenten season is all about.
“Again, it is a season we have to return to God with our good senses. The story of the prodigal is a prototype, retuning to God. Namely, there should be stock taking time in our life, wait a minute, what road am I on, but you realised that you are on a wrong track, you have to take a reverse to the right track. This is what this season is all about. We repent and return to God. When we sinned we back God our father, but we need to repent and make U-turn and face Him and back the devil. We should not be afraid and ashamed to return back to Him because He will accept us back to Himself.
“Celebrating Valentine on ash Wednesday is a clear message that God loves us, and giving His all for us. We too should be able to give our all to whom we love. And we should have no enemies. God is our father and we are His children, and so we should be brothers and sisters, and therefore we should love one another. Aside love, we should be able to visit the sick, those in prisons. I think it is a wonderful coincident that we are celebrating Valentine on the same day that we are observing ash Wednesday.”