The Archbishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Matthew Hassan Kukah, has made a heartfelt plea to President Bola Tinubu, urging him to alleviate the suffering and hunger afflicting Nigerians.
In his Easter message on Sunday, Kukah called on the government to shield the nation from “marauders, murderers, savages, and ravenous predators” that threaten the country’s stability.
“Mr. President, hunger, sickness, and desolation stalk the land. We still believe that removing the subsidies was the right decision,” he stated. “We note that the country now has a huge volume of resources in its domestic reserves.”
Kukah also highlighted the dangers facing the nation’s farmers, calling agriculture one of the most perilous occupations in Nigeria over the last decade.
Further criticising the government’s approach to addressing Nigerians’ suffering, particularly through the distribution of palliatives, Kukah warned that such actions dehumanise citizens.
He advised the government to “Make food security a fundamental human right to all citizens” and appealed to the president, saying, “Please bring us down from this painful cross of hunger.”
The Archbishop blamed the rising violence in the country on bandits, whom he claimed were introduced into Nigeria as part of a strategy to destabilise the government and seize power.
These groups, he argued, have become entrenched in various aspects of Nigerian life, wreaking havoc, killing citizens, and destroying communities.
“Today we have watched as the cancer of insecurity and violence has metastasised. Now, this cancer threatens the very foundation of our common humanity,” Kukah said.
He expressed deep concern about the growing threat posed by terrorists, bandits, and kidnappers, describing the situation as one that has brought Nigeria to the brink.
“The country has become a national morgue. Mr. President, with greater urgency, hasten to bring us down from this cross of evil,” Kukah urged.
Acknowledging that the current crisis was not solely the fault of President Tinubu, Kukah emphasised that Nigerians have suffered long enough, stating, “Nigerians have been dangling and bleeding on this cross of pain and mindless suffering for too long.”