The Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, His Grace Most Rev. Ignatius Kaigama, says Nigerian leaders are employing politics for self-preservation rather than a means to good governance and improving the socio-economic conditions of the citizenry.
Kaigama said this on Saturday at the priestly ordination of 12 Catholic Deacons in Abuja.
“It should worry us terribly that because of bad politics and bad governance, our young ones, discouraged and crippled by socioeconomic conditions at home, are desperately seeking greener pastures in countries that our resources as the so-called “giant of Africa” could be ten times more than theirs.
“We have millions of idle youths, some of them on the streets and some at home due to government failure to let them back to school by positively responding to ASUU demands, and some, because their schools have become unsafe.
“More than sixty years after independence and blessed with so much oil wealth, many rural and even urban dwellers are still experiencing the lack of potable water, good and safe roads, modern agricultural tools and today, everyone is feeling the harsh impact of the high cost of fuel, etc.
“Electricity supply is epileptic even as smaller countries around us enjoy it better. Instead of seeing politics as a means to good governance and better socio-economic conditions, leaders are employing politics for self-preservation. When it suits them they resort to religious politics.
“We get it wrong when some of us lift private religious practices above national interests or the common good, letting religious distrust, suspicion and stereotypes dominate, and refusing to simply see fellow Nigerians as neighbours to be loved and cherished,” the senior Catholic cleric said.