As the nation welcomes the New Year with gratitude, the Bishop, Catholic Diocese of Oyo,Most Reverend Emmanuel Adetoyese Badejo has called on Nigerians, as a religious people, to be honest and follow the tenets of their religions. He urged the people to channel their common energy towards building a better nation, stressing that the New Year will bring joy and turn things anew.
According to him, following one’ religious tenets would create the harmonious coexistence needed for development and enhance quality of life for everyone.
Commending the Federal and some state governments for their impactful policies on the oil, agriculture, education, youth empowerment and finance sectors, Badejo urged the policy makers to constantly monitored and optimised thesepolicies so that the intended gains could be seen in the lives of the people.
The Bishop, in his New Year message, also charged the political class to acknowledge the damage poor leadership has done to the country and change for the better.
Describing the scenario as a dangerous situation, Badejo noted that the chaos of party defections, court cases and the current fiasco about the new tax regime law are heating up the polity.B
He said: “Such an environment creates frustrations in the public and can be an incubator for truancy, banditry and other crimes. The erosion of public trust through bad governance can become a self-inflicted coup if political leaders do not become more reliable and trust worthy in the eyes of the people they govern.”
He enjoinedNigerian leaders to have a change of heart and embrace transparency and honesty, which according to him, build would public trust, confidence in the minds of the people.
Badejo said: “Government must embark on more people-oriented projects, while tackling insecurity at all levels. Leaders must stop exploiting religious sentiments for political gains and stop dividing the people along religious lines.”
He tasked the national orientation and mobilisation agencies to inform and educate the public on their rights and duties, as well as government policies and actions.
