Obasanjo Urges Nigerians To Keep Hope Alive
Former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, has said that Nigeria has not met the aspirations of her creation, but asked the people to keep hope alive.
Obasanjo spoke as the retiring Archbishop of Enugu Province, Emmanuel Chukwuma, asked President Bola Tinubu to investigate former President, Muhammadu Buhari, insisting that failure to do so would mean that the fight against corruption is one-sided.
Chukwuma also said Tinubu’s “renewed hope” was fast turning into “renewed hopeless”, because of the level of corruption, looting, hunger, poverty, starvation, insecurity associated with his government”.
Obasanjo noted that vices have emerged as the country progressed, making living unbearable for ordinary Nigerians.
Obasanjo spoke at the retirement thanksgiving service and celebration of 34 years of the Most Rev. Emmanuel Chukwuma, the Archbishop of Enugu Ecclesiastical Province and Bishop of Enugu Diocese, held at the Cathedral Church of Good Shepherd, Enugu.
Obasanjo said: “Nigeria is not what it should be. This a country if you are able to live to 50 years with Boko Haram, banditry here and there, armed robbery, poverty, hunger, you thank God. There is so much that can take the life of anyone anyhow in Nigeria.
“I was told that rate of suicide has increased. One of my friends, who work as a medical doctor in one of the psychiatrist hospitals, said to me the other day that there is increase in number of people with mental health challenge because they are worried about what to eat and how to solve their problems.
“But in spite of these difficulties and bad conditions, I ask Nigerians not to lose hope. To lose hope is to give up. There is no giving up. We must persevere, we must go on.”
Obasanjo urged Chukwuma to continue to serve humanity even in his retirement, saying he still has a lot to do to help the country.
“You are inspiration to humanity. You will be retiring but you are not tired. If you cannot serve humanity, you can’t serve God. So, I urge you to work for the country,” he said.
Chukwuma, in a sermon, stated that Nigeria is in bad shape, regretting that bad governance has festered.
“Bad governance has spoilt things for the country. We don’t see hope being renewed with the level of looting and corruption. Nigeria has become a bundle of crimes. Why should Muhammadu Buhari not be investigated? Emefiele (Godwin) has a master.
“I call on Tinubu to investigate Buhari, otherwise his corruption fight is one-sided. You cannot be investigating Emefiele without his master and those ministers that worked in that past government, otherwise it is one-sided,” he said.
He charged the National Assembly to live to their billing, insisting that the level of frustration in the country was pushing the young people into various crimes.
“A lot of money is being budgeted for security, yet insecurity is high. Our roads are in bad shape, the health facilities are not working, education is going down. The youths are left with crimes and criminality if they cannot japa to other parts of the world. The law makers must live to their calling,” he said.
Chukwuma charged the church to continue in the faith and preach sound gospel, stressing that they need to strengthen the people in the midst of the difficulties facing the land.
