Bishop, Ibadan North Anglican Diocese, Rt. Reverend Williams Aladekugbe, has advised governments at all levels to reorder their priorities in line with the needs of the citizens in 2024 rather than engaging in mere distribution of palliatives.
Akinkugbe noted that aside from the fact that the palliatives being distributed are inadequate to go round the needy, some unscrupulous politicians use the opportunity to enrich themselves.
The Bishop expressed the concern in his New Year message to Nigerians on Sunday.
Akinkugbe advised the Federal Government to focus on development at the local level to ensure that the people at the grassroots feel the impacts of governance.
He lamented that rather than feel the impacts of government, the local communities experience neglect. This, he said, partly accounted for the incessant outbreak of violence in local communities.
The clergyman said, “We appeal to governments at all levels to make life meaningful and livable for the citizens. No doubt, the citizens are hungry and angry. Cost of living is astronomically high and unbearable.
“We implore the government to invest more into local government than federal issues. This way, people can feel the effects of having a government rather than chaos in most communities.
“We also plead that no religion or tradition should take precedence over the constitution in the country. Unless this happens, we are obviously not one people.
“The rate at which the Naira continues to tumble leaves much to be desired. The government is enjoined to do something serious about it. The skyrocketing prices of food items are undesirable.
“That a bag of rice will ever be sold for as high as N60,000 in Nigeria is unthinkable when minimum wage is put at N30,000. The government should think of what is workable and practicable as against the palliatives it gives which does not go round or which some unscrupulous politicians use in enriching themselves.
“Citizens do not feel safe in the country, and that is why they decide to relocate to countries they think have better security. Due to the high rates of crime and insecurity in Nigeria, the country ranks low on the 2023 Global Peace Index, at the 144th position out of 163 countries.”
Bishop Aladekugbe further stressed, “We remain deeply grateful to God for seeing us through year 2023 with all its ups and downs. It was by God’s mercy that we were not consumed in the year.
“A lot of things happened in the year 2023, beginning with pre-election challenges which included Naira redesign, unavailability of cash, fuel scarcity, elections, change of governments and the withdrawal of fuel subsidy which brought hardship on the people till date. In all of these, God saw us through.”
“While thanking God for the dawn of a new year, we pray that it will bring joy, peace, security and fulfillment to all and sundry.”
