From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
The Archbishop of Kaduna Catholic Diocese, Bishop Matthew Manoso Ndagoso, has said that hunger and poverty allegedly occasioned by the Federal Government’s 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 clergyman explained further: “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.
His words:”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 you prepare the mind of the people. You put structures in place that help Nigerians to absorb. 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 in one day. If you do that you will destroy or kill the person. So you have to wean the person gradually from drinking. Otherwise you kill the person instantly. This is what the Federal Government has done to Nigerians by removing the fuel subsidy instantly and then hiking the prices of everything.
“To make matter worse, 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 buy a loaf of bread. Even if all other things are addressed, insecurity will not allow farmers to go to the farms freely. I travelled to the village the other day I had to travel with truckload 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 siphoned 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 up and do something fast about the situation.”