. Says S’East losing billions of naira to sit-at-home
The Catholic Bishops of Nigeria Conference has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to grant the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, a civil pardon, to stop the Monday sit-at-home in the Southeast.
President of the Catholic clerics, who made the plea, yesterday, during the episcopal ordination of the Auxiliary Bishop of Orlu, Thomas Obiatuegwu, at the Holy Trinity Cathedral, Orlu, noted that only the release of Kanu would address the insecurity challenge experienced in the zone and revamp of its economy.
Ugorji regretted that the Monday sit-at-home, which he attributed to Kanu’s continual detention, has had a serious effect on the economy of the people of Southeast.
He said: “Insecurity has worsened with the sit-at-home order of last-day actors. Southeast is losing billions of naira, families are getting poorer, struggling to survive. We appeal to the Federal Government to end the sit-at-home caused by the detention of Kanu. We appeal to the president to explore civil remedy to release Nnamdi Kanu, his release will open the economy and security recovery of the Southeast.”
He also thanked Governor Hope Uzodimma for his contributions in tackling insecurity challenges in the State.
Earlier in his speech, Governor Uzodimma, while congratulating the new bishop, expressed confidence that he will live up to expectations in discharging his episcopal duties. He rejoiced with the diocese for its record growth of about 50 percent in the last year, and urged the clergy and laity to allow the growth translate into moral and spiritual uplifting of the larger society.
“The church, apart from the family and the school, is the most influential agent of socialisation. I would, therefore, expect that the growth we are experiencing will translate to the spiritual uplifting of the larger society.
“Regrettably, the evidence on ground does not suggest so. In reality, and this is quite surprising, it appears that as the church grows, so does criminality. Therefore, it is either that the church is not doing enough to impact enduring moral lessons on the faithful or that this generation suffers from hardness of the heart as our Lord described the Jews in Mathew 19:8.
“Some have also argued that if not for the Christ, the situation would have been much worse than it is at the moment. Whatever the reason is, the case should be of serious concern to all of us,” Uzodimma said.
Obiatuegwu thanked the Bishops’ Conference for finding him worthy to be ordinated and pledged his readiness to learn and serve. He thanked all clergies, comprising 40 bishops as well as the laity and government officials, including Sen. Osita Izunaso (Imo West), who identified with him and pledged his commitment to his episcopal ministry.
Until his appointment, Obiatuegwu, who hails from Uli, Ihiala council area of Anambra, was the parish priest of St Thomas Catholic Church, Umuahia, Abia State.
