By Cosmas Omegoh
Catholic Bishop of Oyo Diocese in Oyo State, Emmanuel Badejo, has urged Nigerians to take steps to reclaim Nigeria.
In his new year message, entitled: “Reclaim Nigeria in 2024,” the former secretary general of Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN) slammed Nigerian leaders who he lamented had plunged the country into despondency, warning their actions should no longer be tolerated.
He was unhappy that corruption and indiscipline had practically taken over the Nigerian space with attendant violence, murder, fraud, and other vices.
“The new year is here again but judging from the very hard times experienced in the past decade in Nigeria hardly anything around us is new. A new year ought to bring better times but here things are only getting worse for millions. Corruption and indiscipline pervade practically all facets of our life in high and low places. Violence, bloodshed, fraud, stealing, injustice continue unabated.
“Most of those who wield power and authority continue to cater only for themselves and their friends. The poor and underprivileged languish more in poverty and deprivation with many falling into despondency. In all this, the youths get even more restive and angry and clamour for a better future.
“Too little good is happening too slowly to alleviate the people’s sufferings. So, millions have become beggars, living on handouts and palliatives while others simply turn to crime in various forms.
“We must arrest the mass murder and maiming of our compatriots of whatever tribe, by unjust aggressors and even by state agencies that are paid to protect them and be contented with cliches and patronising statements from our leaders which achieve next to nothing. 2023 is already acclaimed to be the worst year on record for the killing of children worldwide. What an accolade! We should no longer tolerate those in positions of authority and power who merely look on or even participate in monumental fraud and injustice, perpetrated against the very people and the commonwealth they claim to serve. We must rebuke leaders who divide rather than reconcile us with one another. Leadership conducted in that manner has no legitimacy and should be rejected.
“In 2024, Nigerians should know that life is temporary and power, at any level, is meant for service. Let all in power know they will be judged in history and eternity by the good they do for others and for the common good in the present. Let us all ask: What am I really here for? What will I be remembered for? The joy of every sane human being is to make as many people as possible happy, make as many lives as possible better, while we can. For how long will the bloodshed in Nigeria continue? For how much longer will fellow human beings eat from the dungheap right before our eyes. For how much longer will our educational and health institutions gasp for attention while we hypocritically desire a better future? Let 2024 be the year when we make a fresh vow of transformation to revive the ideals of authentic, servant- leadership among us, namely: honesty, accountability, selflessness, solidarity, generosity of spirit and a sense of justice.”