Catholic clerics task government over alleged mishandling of recession, others

Mimiko harps on restructuring

The Federal Government has been upbraided by bishops of the Roman Catholic Mission (RCM) for poor communication of the economic recession and other official issues. The clerics, however, urged restructuring of the mind for a better Nigeria.

Speaking during a dinner organised for the Catholic Bishop Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) by Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State in Akure, the Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Hassan Kukah, described Nigeria as “a hell of a country and Nigerians a hell of a people.”

Admitting that the times were hard and the occasion could bring out some positives in the end, he, however, decried that the situation was being complicated because “government has failed in its responsibility to be open with the people.

“I think the challenge government is facing is this: just to be able to explain to people that this suffering has something redemptive about it. Because if you know that at the end of this suffering something good is going to happen, people will be ready to live with the consequences.”

On the anti-corruption crusade of the current administration, he maintained that the root cause of the menace must be traced if the mission was to be a total success.

While noting that the economic crunch was also telling heavily on the church, Kukah blasted the elite who still maintain their ostentatious lifestyles in the midst of the prevailing hunger and deprivation.

He faulted some of the measures put in place by the government to bail out the country, saying: “It is not enough to tell people to get back to the farms. The issues are much more than that. It is not enough to say you have big plans for agriculture.”

The cleric advised the President Muhammadu Buhari administration to stop trading blames and tackle the nation’s woes decisively.

Other bishops, including Jude Arogundade of Ondo Diocese, the Cardinal Archbishop of Abuja, John Onaiyekan and CBCN president, Bishop Ignatius Kaigama, lauded Mimiko for providing qualitative leadership.

Meanwhile, the governor has again declared that the diversification of the economy would yield little or no result without the nation’s restructuring.

He noted that there were several hurdles that had made the current federal system too burdensome.

Allaying the fears in some quarters, Mimiko said: “Restructuring does not mean we are robbing one part to pay the other.”