IGBOZURUOKE FORUM

A Catholic priest, Rev. Fr. Cletus Uche, has decried the degree of poverty and suffering  allegedly forced on  citizens of Imo State by the government.

Rev Uche spoke while preaching the homily during a Eucharistic celebration for Knights of Saint Mulumba at St. Mary Claret Parish, Owerri.

“Many people in Imo State are suffering because of the state government’s policies and programmes, which many consider as anti-people”, Fr. Uche said. He was particularly irked that while Nigeria was passing through excruciating economic recession, the state government thought it was the best time to destroy people’s means of livelihood, saying “Nigeria is in recession and a governor used that period of economic hardship to cut the salaries and stipends of civil servants and pensioners and nobody is condemning it except the victims.”

While saying it was common knowledge that civil servants were hungry and famished, the Catholic priest wondered why the state government should insist that the workers must wear suits and ties to pretend that they were happy. “Everybody knows that the civil servants are hungry but the government insists they must wear suits and ties to pretend that they are happy, because in Africa, hungry people don’t wear coats and ties”, Fr. Uche said.

After recounting how people’s economic activities were allegedly destroyed by the state government, Fr. Uche reasoned that “the economy of the state can only grow where there are strong economic activities”. Continuing, the priest said he had not “ceased to wonder how destruction of markets and erection of statues will boost the economy of the state”. He charged Catholic Knights not to keep quiet in the face of injustice in the state and Nigeria.

“Injustice is at the heart of the various agitations in Nigeria, including the struggle for Biafra’s independence.”

Vanguard