by Christiana Gokyo, Jos
The Bishops of the Catholic Church in Northern Nigeria have converged in Jos voluntarily to fraternize. The assembly of the Bishops comprises three provinces, which include Kaduna, Abuja, and Jos, with each province having dioceses under it.
Chairman of Catholic Northern Bishops, the Archbishop of Abuja, His Grace Most Rev. Dr. Ignitus A. Kaigama, while speaking to newsmen shortly after their meeting at the Pastoral Center Jos on Wednesday, said they had come from different backgrounds, and they have different experiences.
“Once a year, we meet like this to share our experiences – both good and bad – to strengthen and encourage one another to continue the good work we are doing.
According to him, “Over these two days, we have prayed, discussed, and reflected on many issues – spiritual, pastoral, political, social, and economic.
“As we leave, we hope to continue talking about them, engaging in dialogue, and praying for solutions. This is a gathering of brothers, and we always look forward to it. No one forces us to be here; we come willingly, and you can see how joyful and happy we are to be together.
Archbishop Kaigama noted that, “Everyone is talking about insecurity. These days, when you travel, you’re not sure, if you will arrive safely. Your heart pounds when you approach a roadblock because you don’t know whether it’s manned by genuine security personnel or criminals.
“The roads are terrible. A journey from Gaya to Jos, which should take about two hours, now takes much longer. By the time you arrive, you are exhausted, and your car is in bad shape. Maybe, those in government don’t experience these things the way we do, but we must point them out,” he stated
The Archbishop also noted that, “There is hunger; people are coming to our offices and homes, begging for food – people, who never used to beg. Even those earning salaries cannot make ends meet anymore.
“It’s alarming. The little we gather from donations to distribute is not enough. That’s why we’re calling on the government to intervene seriously and work with us.
“While recalling the recent tragedy in Abuja, where we were distributing food at Christmas, there was a stampede – 10 people died, and 11 were injured. Why? Because they were desperately hungry. They hadn’t seen food in a long time, and when the Church provided it, they rushed to get some.
“But, instead of asking why people are so hungry, the government started pointing fingers – saying, maybe, the Church didn’t plan the distribution well. That’s what I call passing-the-buck – a lame excuse. The real issue is hunger. People were driven by desperation,” he stated.
“Rather than blame us, the government should ask: How can we work together? We have a Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs – why not collaborate with the Church to ensure food reaches those who need it most? But, no, instead of offering solutions, they focus on assigning blame,” the Archbishop stressed.
According to him, they won’t give up. “We will keep engaging with the government. The governor was here this morning, and he assured us of collaboration. We hope that collaboration will be real.”
He further explained that, “If the policies were working, people would be smiling, and my office wouldn’t be flooded with people asking for food. But because things are not working, even those earning reasonable salaries are struggling.
“How do we measure the economy? – by food availability, by the affordability of basic needs. But now, look at the cost of transportation – it has skyrocketed. Look at food prices – a measure of rice, the cost of chicken – it’s all unaffordable.”
“As religious leaders, we bear this burden heavily. Sometimes, I feel we even carry more than governors, senators, or legislators.
“These politicians don’t see the kind of people that come to us every day. The governor, for example, arrived today with layers of security – soldiers before him, with him, and after him. No one can just approach him. But look at me – I have no security. My room is here; anyone can knock and enter,” he said.
Archbishop Kaigama further stated that, “We receive people directly, and the pressure is overwhelming. Every morning, my phone is flooded with messages – I can’t even read all of them. Yet, we were not elected into office. We don’t receive any grants to help people.
“Countries like Italy, Germany, or the UK, the government subsidizes the Church’s humanitarian efforts because they know we are reaching the most vulnerable. They provide funding, trusting that it will be effectively distributed.
“But here, the government doesn’t assist us and, when we try to help, they don’t even seem interested in supporting us.
“We are pleading with the government: let’s fight this war against hunger, against unemployment, against poverty. If we don’t, crime will continue to rise.
“The economy is heavily government-dependent; even, if people want to start small businesses, they need capital – but where will they get it? Banks won’t give them loans. There’s no support system.
“So, everything still points back to the government; they know what to do to make things better. They know how to adjust economic policies to lower fuel and food prices, to make life more affordable for the people. That is why they campaigned so vigorously for office – they had plans, didn’t they? Now that they are in power, let them fulfill their promises.
“As priests, our work is to pray, to bless people – not to craft economic policies. That’s the job of those in government; they need to go back and do their homework because, right now, the people are suffering, and the change they promised is nowhere to be seen.