The bishops argue that while citizens face severe poverty and hunger, government officials continue to lead lives of affluence without any efforts to curb the high cost of governance.
The Catholic Bishops' Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) has condemned the Nigerian government’s call for patience and sacrifice from its citizens amidst ongoing economic hardship.
The bishops argue that while citizens face severe poverty and hunger, government officials continue to lead lives of affluence without any efforts to curb the high cost of governance.
A communiqué issued on August 30, 2024, after the CBCN's Second Plenary Meeting held at the Auchi Diocese, Edo State, explained the growing public frustration.
The statement, signed by CBCN President Rev. Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji, through Bishop Donatus A. Ogun of Uromi, stressed widespread dissatisfaction with the current administration's handling of the economic crisis.
The communiqué reads, "There is an unfortunate general feeling in the nation that we are stuck in a tight web of corruption from which we cannot extricate ourselves.
"There are economic policies that seem to favor those in the corridors of power and their cronies in the business sector. At this point, we must mention some recent worrisome developments in our nation:
"Our people recently embarked on an #EndBadGovernance protest as Nigeria's economy continues to deteriorate, reducing millions of citizens to a life of abject poverty and unbearable hardship.
"We note that Nigerians have the constitutional right to express their grievances through peaceful protests. The recent protest by a cross-section of the population aimed to openly express their distress and frustration in a nation endowed with rich human and natural resources, yet unable to provide the basic needs of its citizens.”
Rev. Ugorji noted that there was concern the planned protest could be hijacked by miscreants and hoodlums to wreak havoc on the nation. Despite the challenges, the protest began peacefully but later took a violent turn.
He stated that in some parts of Nigeria, the protest became violent, with reports of arson, looting, and destruction of lives and property worth billions of Naira. Several people were killed and many others reported injured.
He said, "Unfortunately, some security operatives, who are normally expected to protect citizens during protests, resorted to threats, intimidation, and blackmail to deter citizens from protesting. In some cases, there were allegations of extrajudicial killings by security personnel.
"We pray for the repose of those who lost their lives, the speedy recovery of the injured, and the consolation of the bereaved. We also sympathize with all who lost their property during the protest.
"We denounce the use of violence by some individuals and strongly condemn the killing of protesting citizens by security operatives. Nevertheless, we reaffirm the constitutional right of every Nigerian to peaceful protest.
"We wish to stress that as long as the nation suffers from poverty, hardship, and corruption, and as long as the future of our people remains bleak, we must continue to recognize the necessity of protests.
“We call on governments at all levels to address the issues that lead to protests and release all who are detained for exercising their constitutional right to protest within the bounds of the law."
He commended the federal government for its efforts to grant autonomy to local governments for the benefit of grassroots communities.
Rev. Ugorji urged that local government council elections should be free and fair, with measures put in place for the proper utilization of resource allocations to local governments.
He also called on the federal government to undertake comprehensive electoral reforms to ensure transparency and fairness, including compulsory and seamless electronic transmission of election results from polling units in real-time.
The communiqué continues, "Our nation's immense debt burden is a significant affront to our present and future generations.
“We observe that servicing these substantial debts to international monetary agencies and sourcing funds internally to balance budget deficits have led to the current government's economic reforms, which primarily involve the withdrawal of fuel subsidies and the floating of the Naira.
"We are aware that these reforms have triggered rampant inflation, plunging many Nigerians into a state of severe suffering and deprivation.”
He noted that the majority of Nigerians are now enduring living conditions that detract from human dignity. Thus, the debt burden has become a new form of enslavement for present and future generations.
"We recognize that the socio-economic difficulties of our nation are beyond the resolution of economic reforms alone, no matter how well-conceived or accurately implemented.
“We must acknowledge that the cost of running governments with numerous elected and appointed officials is staggering and unsustainable.
"We therefore urge the current administration under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to reconsider its economic reform policies to alleviate the burden of hardship on citizens and promote people-oriented and progressive development," he added.