‘Nigerians living in hopeless situation worsened by insecurity, unemployment’

The Bishop of Nike Diocese (Anglican Communion), Enugu State, Rt. Revd. (Dr.) Christian Onyeka Onyia, has said that Nigerians are living in hopeless situation following lip service being paid by the Federal Government to ravaging issues of insecurity and unemployment.

Onyia who stated this during the third session of the fifth synod of the diocese at St. Peter’s Church, Thinker’s Corner, Enugu, said since Independence, Nigeria had never faced the current level of polarisation and unmitigated security crisis.

He said: “It is particularly troubling that this is taking place under the leadership of a retired military general. Sadly, it seems that the President and the governors have lost control of the situation. No part of the country is spared from insecurity, ranging from terrorism, extremism, insurgencies, Jihadism, kidnapping for ransom and extra-judicial execution of citizens by the state actors.

“Sadly, the activities of Boko Haram and Fulani extremists appear to be a decoy to achieve other pre-determined missions.

“Nigeria has also witnessed unprecedented endemic assassinations, looting of communities and abduction by Fulani extremists posing as herdsmen. The people and communities now live in fear. Travelling in Nigerian routes is worse than being on war front. People’s fears are aggravated by their perception of government’s failure to act in the face of the threats.”

The cleric, who dwelt extensively on the state of the nation’s current political economy and its implications for its citizens, said it might be difficult for the Federal Government to repay the loans it had borrowed so far.

He said to meet the challenges of food insecurity, Nigeria needs to focus on how to reduce post-harvest losses and improve food processing and preservation.

“To prevent, mitigate and reconcile the looming crisis, Nigeria needs the policy to leverage its population for national development. Investments should be made in agriculture, not the current subsistence farming, but modern agriculture that must include post-harvest storage, utilisation and management of agricultural produce,” he added.

Onyia further noted that the church as a religious and social organisation guided by spiritual, ethical and social principles contained in the fundamental teachings and doctrine of the Christian faith, would play a vital role in stimulating and influencing social change and in the improvement of the value system of society.