Catholic Bishop urges govt to enact people- centred policies, prioritize citizens well-being

.CAN calls on Christians to embrace peace with all men
.As Anglican Bishop asks FG to save S/East from insecurity

BLESSING l TAIWO , Lagos and PHIL OKOSE , Onitsha

Bishop, Catholic Diocese of Abeokuta, Ogun State, Most Rev. Dr. Peter Kayode Odetoyinbo, has charged Nigerians to kindle their hope and renew their minds toward building the Nigeria of their dream.
Rev. Dr. Odetoyinbo, in his Christmas message, said the celebration of Christ’s birth is a reminder for all to be full of hope.

He said, “Christmas is indeed a time of ‘Renewed Hope’, not hope in a particular political concept or government policies but Hope in Jesus Christ; the hope that subsists despite our insufficiency, poverty and hunger.

“Christ brought hope to the hopeless, pardon to the guilty, forgiveness to the conscience-stricken, peace to those who knew no peace, sight to the blind, freedom to the oppressed and declaration of favour from the Lord (Luke 4:18).

“The Holy Father Pope Francis also about this time has declared the Jubilee Year of Hope and instructed us to keep Hope for peace alive as pilgrims of hope in a world full of war, evil, hopelessness and despair.
“This hope is different from the world’s understanding of hope that is often based on mere wish but a strong and confident expectation, an unwavering trust in the faithful God.”

Speaking on the state of the nation, Rev. Dr. Odetoyinbo called for the cooperation of all stakeholders to enthrone structures of hope that will positively impact the lives of the citizenry.

The revered cleric urged the government and its agencies to instill hope in Nigerians by designing people-centered policies that will prioritise their well-being.

“Consequently, we must identify the vulnerable groups among us who require urgent assistance.
“Youth employment and empowerment should be top on government agenda so as to give hope to our young people that there is a bright future for them in their fatherland.

“Government should identify critical areas of need and possible interventions such as food, education, health care, housing, security etc.

“Affordable loans should be made available to small and medium scale enterprises and providing the enabling environment for businesses to thrive in Nigeria,” he charged.

The Cleric, however, acknowledged the increased monthly allocation to state and local governments, increased workers’ minimum wage, students loan, cash transfer schemes to the vulnerable, 2025 budget proposals with more allocation for capital projects and debt recovery and other interventions by the government but advised that more be done in areas of food inflation, fixing the local refineries to meet contemporary standards, investment in social programmes, fixing incessant collapse of national grid and addressing insecurity headlong.

He urged the government to ensure that the savings from fuel subsidy removal and floatation of the naira be reinvested to building infrastructures and addressing the raging economic problems affecting the citizens.
Rev. Dr. Odetoyinbo assured, “God is with us in Nigeria and we should never lose hope in our common pursuit to build a nation where peace and justice shall reign.”

Similarly, the Youth Wing of Christian Association of Nigeria (YOWICAN) has urged Christians to follow peace with all men as exemplified by Jesus Christ.

Chairman of YOWICAN in Enugu State, Mr Chekwube Ani, in a Christmas message on Tuesday in Enugu, felicitated Christian faithful in Nigeria and the world over.

“As we celebrate the birth of our Saviour, let us remember the incredible love for us that is demonstrated through the indescribable gift of Jesus Christ we are celebrating this season.
“As we gather with our families and friends, let us honour the One who brings us together. May our celebrations be filled with worship, gratitude and praise.

“During this Christmas, let us extend love to our families, friends, neighbours, colleagues, acquaintances and everybody around us as God did in John 3:16.

“Also, as the Christ we commemorate His birth is the Prince of peace, we urge Christians to demonstrate and show peace with all men.
“Let us seek peace and pursue it in this season and beyond,” he said.
Ani urged Christians to wear the nature of the “child that is born to us and the attributes of the son that is given to us.

“May we appreciate and recognise His supremacy and sovereignty.
Ani, a Senior Apostle, also called on Christians to use the season to move closer to God.
“Let us not get caught up in the commercialism of Christmas but instead, focus on the values of love, joy and giving,” he said.

He however, commended Gov. Peter Mbah of Enugu State for his efforts at providing dividends of democracy to the people of the state.

While praying God to grant the governor the grace to sustain the good works, Ani urged the people of the state to support his administration for the delivery of more democratic dividends
On his part, The Bishop on the Niger, Anglican Communion, Anambra State, the Rt Rev Dr Owen Nwokolo, has urged the Federal Government to save the Southeast geo political zone from insecurity now prevalent in the zone, especially at this yuletide period.

Fielding questions from newsmen during a press briefing, he described 2025 as a year of Great Expectations for Nigeria but appealed on the Federal and South East State Governments to make haste to save Easterners from insecurity in the region.

He however, hailed Nigerians for their resilience in overcoming various challenges of 2024 and advised them to prepare themselves awash with Great Expectations in 2025.

The bishop had, while making the plea in his 2025 New Year Message to Nigerians regretted that insecurity has become an intractable phenomenon in the South East.

He consequently enjoined the Federal and South Eastern State Governments to join forces towards containing what he called unacceptable menace of insecurity of lives and property in South Eastern region.
Nwokolo had also while declaring 2025 a year of Great Expectations, explained that the manifestation of any expected good change in 2025 depended on positive actions of Nigerians.

According to him, for Nigeria and her citizens to experience the Great Expectations borne of positive attitudes in the New Year, they should consciously cultivate clear vision, design quality planning and place absolute trust in God.

The bishop said, “We, in fact, declare this year, the year of hope; the year of Great Expectations. And as the New Year usually comes with new expectations, new lifestyles, new visions, new insights as well as with new plannings, our call on Nigerians, therefore, is for everyone to begin now to plan.
“As the year is still fresh, this is the time for everyone to begin to plan for this year, 2025. Remember that planning helps to put things in clearer perspective.

“Again, remember the saying: “He who fails to plan, plans to fail”. So, we encourage you to set laudable and feasible plans, we assure you, that God will take over the plans and make them succeed by divinely ordering your footsteps.

“The Lord is the Lord of the years. There are seasons in the world; time to be born, time to grow and time to die, and time to do other things as recorded in Ecllesiastics Chapter Three. May we be guided by these as we navigate the next 12 month’s of the New Year,” he prayed.