"Nigeria in Worst of Times": CAN, CBCN Decry Insecurity, Poverty, Corruption

• The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) have given a harsh assessment of the government
• The religious bodies noted that the debacle besieging the country is entirely avoidable if the leaders are willing to sacrifice for the betterment of the population
• The Christian associations warned of dire consequences if the hardship persists for an extended period, including moral decadence among the youth

Nigeria's leading Christian organisations, the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) and the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), painted a grim picture of the nation's state during their 2024 Plenary Assembly.

They declared these to be the "worst of times" for the country, citing rampant insecurity, economic hardship, and unabated corruption.

Church leader condemns government policies

Archbishop Lucius Ugorji, president of the CBCN, delivered a particularly scathing assessment of the performance of the Tinubu-led administration. He noted that communities are living in fear due to kidnappings, killings, and banditry, reported the Vanguard.

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Arise News reported that the archbishop lamented the presence of "killer herdsmen, bandits and unknown gunmen" terrorising citizens even in their homes and places of worship.

Archbishop Ugorji also criticised the government's reform agenda, including the removal of fuel subsidies and currency devaluation, which led to spiralling inflation and plunged millions into poverty. He argued that these policies resulted in "wanton suffering and untold hardship as never before."

The archbishop also denounced the government's extravagant spending amidst widespread poverty. He condemned the opulent lifestyles of public officials while ordinary Nigerians struggled to afford basic necessities.

He further slammed the pervasive corruption across various levels of government, calling it a "complex reality involving moral rottenness, defilement and loss of integrity."

The consequences of these issues extend to the Nigerian youth, the man of God said.

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The archbishop expressed concern about the high unemployment rate, pushing many young people towards drugs, alcohol, or desperate emigration. He emphasised the long-term harm of losing this human capital, stating,

"thousands of them seek relief from drugs and alcohol and eventually end up in violent crimes."

Atiku lists 4 policy prescriptions to rescue Nigeria

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Atiku Abubakar said President Tinubu told experts offering ideas on resolving the economic crisis that they do not distract him and his team.

Atiku said this happened at a meeting called to address the Foreign Exchange crisis and the problem of economic downturn on Thursday, February 15.

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) disclosed this via his X handle (formerly known as Twitter) @atiku.

He said he could not continue to keep quiet as Tinubu's administration's wrong policies continued to cause untold pain and distress to the economy.

Source: Legit.ng