The Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) has faulted the reform agenda of President Bola Tinubu which it says has added to the burdens of Nigerians and worsened their conditions.
President of the CBCN, Most Rev. Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji, made this remark at the formal opening of the 2024 First Plenary Assembly of the CBCN at the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN) Resource Centre, Abuja, on Sunday
Bishop Ugorji stressed that the end of the fuel subsidy regime and the unification of the foreign exchange market, has brought with it, a significant increase in the pump price of petroleum products and a steep decline in the value of the naira, thus increasing the hardship experienced by Nigerians.
The Catholic Bishop expressed worry at rising inflation which has made it difficult for the average Nigerian to access basic commodities, including food items and medication
“With the withdrawal of fuel subsidy and the unification of the foreign exchange market, there has been a sharp increase in the pump price of petroleum products and a steep decline in the value of the naira. Indeed, there is a free fall in the national currency
As a result of the government’s reform agenda, millions of Nigerians have been reduced to a life of grinding poverty, wanton suffering, and untold hardship as never before in our national history.”
“In a bid to survive, an increasing number of the poor have resorted to begging. With more than 80m Nigerians living below the poverty line of less than two dollars a day, our country, according to the recent disclosure of the World Bank, is the world’s second-largest poor population after India”
The CBCN President noted that as the government demands additional sacrifice from the struggling masses, Nigerians are expecting to see a drastic cut in the cost of running the government at all levels.
He said, “On the contrary, it is worrisome to watch top government functionaries live by the sweat, toil, and tears of the poor. They continue to spend huge public funds on ostentatious and luxurious lifestyles and seem incapable of feeling compassion for the outcry of the poor.
“It is no less worrisome to note that corruption among many public servants has gone beyond scale and measure. Corruption is a complex reality involving moral rottenness, defilement, and loss of integrity.”
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