Ignatius Kaigama, the Catholic Archbishop of Abuja Diocese, admonished newly elected and appointed Nigerian officials not to pursue celebrity or wealth.
He said freshly elected and appointed officials must fight towards a “new dawn” for the nation and its people.
Terrorism, abduction, cybercrime, drug trafficking, banditry, fraud, and corruption have plagued Nigeria for too long, he said.
In his Homily at St. Mary’s Church, Karu, a clergyman, advised Nigeria’s new leaders not to pursue fame or reverence.
Kaigama remarked, “Our leaders can help Nigeria’s poor and needy. Leaders must feel the people’s pain. We may be friends and heritage siblings despite our differences.
“We are so pious externally, and like the Israelites, we are eager to exclaim, “Everything that the Lord has said we will do!” Exodus 19:8 We are ungodly and inconsiderate in private and public.
“Despite enormous and ubiquitous corruption, irresponsible resource exploitation, or fraudulent election techniques, God does not desert us or allow us to be destroyed. Jesus helps us when others fear we’re about to collapse. So, some believe God is Nigerian!
“How magnificent our nation might be if we reject ‘better than thou mentality’ or exclusivity, accept God’s precepts, and strive towards harmonious social connections.
Terrorism, abduction, cybercrime, drug trafficking, banditry, fraud, corruption, etc., have plagued Nigeria for too long. Our leaders must not desire fame or wealth to usher in a new era.
“Nigeria wastes resources. We get financial help from European nations with less resources, which needs to be better used. Because of systemic corruption, corrupt officials may steal from the public.
Our future leaders must not merely seek fame or reverence, and certainly not enrich themselves, to see a new dawn.
