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From Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri
The Catholic Archbishop of Owerri, Lucius Ugorji, has said that Nigerians have allowed themselves to be consumed by hatred and have abandoned the national motto of peace, unity and progress.
Archbishop Ugorji, immediate past President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, (CBCN), stated this in his homily at the Thanksgiving Mass to commemorate Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary held at the Assumpta Cathedral, Owerri on Saturday.
He recalled that 66 years ago, on October 1, 1960, at Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos, the British flag was lowered and the green-white-green was hoisted, signalling the end of colonial rule and the dawn of liberty.
He acknowledged the struggles of Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Sir Ahmadu Bello, praying that their labours for the peace of the country would not be in vain.
According to him, 66 years down the line, Nigeria has recorded progress, expanding from 127 schools in 1960 to over 23,000 schools, with decades of uninterrupted constitutional democracy since 1999, vibrant human capital, micro-economic reforms and encouraging local production.
He, however, said successive administrations had struggled with transparency, accountability and long-term institutional planning. Despite abundant natural resources, he said, the country remains vulnerable to external shocks due to over-reliance on crude oil, sluggish industrialization and unemployment.
Persistent insecurity including insurgency, banditry and terrorism, he said, had continued to disrupt local economy and strain national cohesion, while foreign nationals take advantage of weak security architecture to loot resources in collusion with corrupt public officials.
“Chronic inadequate power generation has continued to hinder economic productivity and lower quality of life for the average citizen. Be that as it may, we are still standing by God’s special grace through dictatorship, economic recession and unrest,” he said.
Describing Nigeria as blessed with fertile soil and human capital, he noted that Nigerians remain resilient globally, with 34 percent in the diaspora holding bachelor’s degrees. “The fact, we can say for 66 years, is a miracle only God does,” he said.
Ugorji said the anniversary should be a day of sober reflection, urging Nigerians to change the narrative of corruption and election rigging.
“We have been consumed with hatred for one another instead of embracing the national motto: peace, unity and progress. We can’t have progress without unity and peace. Unfortunately, we have allowed ourselves to be used as weapons – Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba, Kanuri, Edo – we have allowed unscrupulous politicians to divide us and use us for their selfish interests only for them to unite and share the commonwealth of the nation,” he said.
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He prayed that God surrounds leaders with good counsellors to fight insecurity and urged citizens to join hands to rebuild the nation and ensure free and fair elections as 2027 approaches.
Also speaking at the Mass, Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, said Nigeria’s continued existence as one country after 66 years was not by accident but by sacrifices of generations of Nigerians.
“My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, we have gathered today to thank God as Nigeria marks 66 years as an independent nation. We have fought a civil war, lived through military rule and returned to democracy. We have gone through economic difficulties and political crises, and there have been times when Nigerians have genuinely wondered what the future holds for this country.
“Yet, Nigeria is here. After 66 years, despite everything we have been through, we remain one country. That is something worth thanking God for. Generations of Nigerians have made sacrifices to keep this country together, including ordinary people whose names will never appear in any history book,” he said.
The Governor admitted that Nigerians were going through difficult times, noting that recent economic adjustments, though essential, had demanded sacrifices from families and businesses, but stressed that the government has a duty to ensure that those sacrifices lead to impactful transformation.
He said leadership does not begin and end in Government House or Aso Rock, but begins at home, in families, kindreds, communities, churches, schools, markets and places of work.
“We cannot throw refuse into the drainage and then complain when our streets are flooded. We cannot break traffic rules whenever we think nobody will stop us and still complain that ours is a lawless society. We cannot cheat people in business, exploit those who work for us or celebrate somebody who suddenly becomes wealthy through fraud, and then behave as though dishonesty becomes a Nigerian problem only when the political class is involved,” he said.
Uzodimma stressed that those who occupy public office come from families, schools, communities and churches, and have spent years learning what society considers acceptable.
“If you employ people and they work honestly for you, pay them fairly. If you are a trader, do not cheat your customer because you think you can get away with it. If people entrust you with the money of an association, handle it with the same honesty you expect from somebody handling government money,” he said.
He congratulated Ndi Imo and Nigerians on the anniversary, saying Nigeria belongs to all and each has responsibility for what it becomes.
“If we lead well where we are, we make it easier for Nigeria to be led well. May God give those of us in public office the wisdom and humility to serve our people well, and give all of us as Nigerians the courage to do what is right even when nobody is watching,” Uzodimma added.
