The Catholic Bishops of Ibadan Ecclesiastical Province, comprising Ibadan Archdiocese, Ilorin, Ondo, Oyo, Ekiti, and Osogbo Dioceses, have called on President Bola Tinubu and state governors to address escalating food insecurity in the country, saying millions of Nigerians wallow in abject hunger.
They urged the government at all levels to invest more in agriculture, facilitate the involvement of youth in it, and boost food provision sustainably through improved security while implementing strategies to reduce the escalating cost of food across Nigeria.
Rising from their first meeting of the year 2025 at the Jubilee Conference Centre, Oke Ado, Ibadan, Oyo State, the bishops said, “It should worry the government at all levels that ‘Ebi npa wa,’ meaning ‘We are hungry,’ has become a more popular song on the lips of many Nigerians than the celebrated national, regional, or state anthems.”
According to a communique issued on Tuesday and signed by the Chairman of the Ecclesiastical Province, Most Rev. Gabriel Abegunrin, and the Secretary, Most Rev. John Oyejola, the clergymen prayerfully deliberated on issues of the Church and national interest from Monday to Tuesday, February 10-11, 2025.
Entitled “Keeping Our Focus on Hope, Justice, and Peace,” the communique regretted that millions of Nigerians still yearn for the most basic necessities of life despite “glowing promises of a better life for all Nigerians” made almost two years ago when the current administration came to power.
While commending some encouraging strides made by certain governments to promote agriculture, the bishops noted that without food for the population, hope is difficult to instil, and productivity is diminished because hungry people are a restive people.
“We enjoin the government to engage with experts and creative social engineers to reduce the rate of hunger in society as an added means of strengthening the hope of our citizens. It is difficult to sustain hope on hungry stomachs.
“In this light, we state here that there is an urgent need for price and monetary stability. Let us note that price stability in any economy means that the general price level does not change over time. Thus, the prices of goods need to be sincerely monitored to avoid indiscriminate fixing and an increase in the prices of goods,” the clerics said.
Meanwhile, the Catholic Church leaders have commended political leaders for managing the security situation in the South-West “reasonably well for the last few years, making the hope of the people in a better future grow,” adding, “This proves the dictum that when there is life, there is hope.”
They, however, charged political leaders in the region not to rest on their oars, identifying the need for them to denounce the threat posed more recently by the resurgence of herdsmen attacks, kidnappings, robberies, and other crimes in parts of Yorubaland.
“We appeal to governors and security agencies in the Southwestern states to rise up to the challenge posed by these threats in order to maintain the relative peace and security of recent years. Efficient intelligence gathering, good remuneration, proper equipping of our security outfits, and a determination to prosecute crime without favor are all necessary for the provision of security of life and property and must be pursued with single-mindedness,” they stated.
On the proposed National Confab for youth by the President, the religious leaders warned that it should not be another talk shop or cosmetic exercise, pointing out that “it should be a hope-generating idea that allows the young people of this country to have a say in the affairs of the nation.”
“While acknowledging the challenges that may arise from the process of selecting participants, we urge the government to ensure a transparent and honest selection process that will guarantee fair and widespread representation of young people across the country. We are convinced that such a Confab of youth can generate fresh, creative ideas if and only if the government gets the representation process right with authentic spokespersons of the youth all over Nigeria,” the bishops advised the federal government. (Guardian)
