The catholic Bishop of Awka Diocese, Most Reverend Paulinous EzeOkafor has urged Nigerians to be patient with the present administration to enable them relay the plans they have to re-position the economy as envisaged by the international community.
He made the call in Awka, at a media briefing to commemorate Christmas season. Said it is early to condemn the governing party but urged them to ensure every section of the country is duly represented in placement of political appointment and allocation of resources due to them.
He frowned at the speculation that the president Muhammadu Buhari led administration seems not to be accessible compare to previous administrations, said the major challenges the country is facing was due to inappropriate management of the nation resources, where oil and gas was regarded as the nation's economic main stay, leaving out the country's traditional sources which ought to be a relevant substitute to raise the country from the perceived mess from the drastic drop in crude oil prices in the international market..
He urged the government to ensure other sources of income generation should be considered and restore the country’s hope back to where It was before the discovery of oil in the Nigeria.
“There is no best government that is acceptable to all, at least, people have been given opportunity to express themselves, unlike the military era where such freedom is restricted.
If it comes to economic crisis it is everywhere, our own case is not the extra-ordinary'.
The only problem I noticed as person who has been here is that, if we have managed our resources very well in the time past, we will not be cut off. Now you hear a barrel of crude oil in now sold at less than $40, something that was sold at a $100 or more in this same year'.
He continued, "You know we have a mono economy, everything in Nigeria depends on that oil, if we had judiciously managed money gotten in the time part, we would have diversify our economy away from what it is now and things would be been better'.
" I know that there is hope! there is nothing to nurse the fear that Nigeria will collapse, all I want to say is that, I want to challenge our leaders to commence proper management of the country economy and also accommodate various groups to participate in the development programme of the economy.
"If you continue hearing the agitations here and there, where, MASSOB, AREWA, OODUA GROUP, BOKO HARAM, NIGER DELTA STRUGGLE are making frantic effort to voice our their grievance, this shows that there are signs that things are not going the way it ought to be.
Therefore, those who have found themselves at the helm of affairs should try and accommodate all tribes, don’t ignore anybody, don’t say they are just making noise, if you allow it, it may engulf the entire society .
"I also want to plead with those who think they have grudges, dialogue remains the best option to settle dispute, because at the end of the day, even if you go to war, at the end, everything would be brought to a round conference for discussion.
:So, let us leave in hope, in spite of challenges starring at us, because I wish to reiterate that there is no society that is crisis free, only thing is that when it comes, you manage your own and when you are able to manage your own well, you will enjoy the benefit of living in harmonious society.
He assured the Ndigbo that the ongoing crisis is not targeted to exterminate the Igbo race from Nigeria, against fear being speculated in some quarters that the present administration was out to wipe the existence of Igbo race in the country.
“ I want to assure you that the way God has made Igbo man, is not easy to destroy him,.
All said and done, we know we fought the Biafran War and the scares remain, the way God has made Ndigbo, we discover that wherever we find ourselves, people feel challenged, but we can’t because of that show them what God has deposited in us, I mean the characteristics”.
Those who are blessed to be at the helm of affairs should try and accommodate everybody, I don’t see anything wrong if a people feel that they are not been treated well in particular place and calling for a peaceful agitation, it is not right on the authority to continue tramping on them"|.
"The best way is to ask them why are you making your noise, if you are not treated well, let us find a way to address the perceived challenged you complained about.
I continue saying that, in spite of our differences, in spite of our challenges, those who have them placed to manage the affairs of Nigeria, be it the president to least person should listen to the heartbeat of the people and see what they want and make sure everybody is given attention, otherwise, all these are signs that things are not the way it should be and nobody should ignore it.
“As for Igbo being targeted for destruction, nobody will destroy us because God is in-charge”. He assure". He assured.
