Archbishop Kaigama Urges Tinubu to Turn Hopeful Messages into Concrete Actions

The Most Rev. Ignatius Kaigama, the Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, has asked President Bola Tinubu to honor his New Year’s promise to reduce the present high rate of inflation from 34.6 percent to 15 percent.
Additionally, he urged the president to fulfill his pledge to step up efforts to increase food production and prevent citizen famine in the coming year.

Kaigama praised President Bola Tinubu’s New Year message of optimism for Nigerians while giving his homily at a Special Memorial Church Service in honor of the victims of the December 21, 2024, palliatives distribution stampede.
He said it was really touching that the president prayed and wished for a better life for the people.
But what’s left, according to Kaigama, is for the president’s pledges to be fulfilled through tangible action and for fruitful outcomes.

“President Tinubu gave a really touching broadcast to kick off the new year. Because it was so upbeat, it was the one broadcast I have liked since he became president.He claims that he wished a prosperous and joyous new year to all Nigerians. Mr. President himself is saying that. He also prayed for happiness, prosperity, and good health in the next year.

“He stated that his government is dedicated to stepping up efforts to increase food production in 2025, despite the fact that 2024 presented many difficulties for our citizens and households.”Inflation will be lowered from its present high of 34.6 percent to 15 percent, he added. That’s what our president says. Is that not a good thing? It’s good.

Let’s hope and pray that this becomes a tangible reality. “It’s not just about a speech; it’s about how it’s actually put into practice,” Kaigama stated.
The archbishop expressed his hope that the president would follow through on his promises made in the New Year’s program.

“I pray that. Kaigama added, “And please join me in praying that this will happen and that it must happen.”
Kaigama claimed that the deadly tragedy that happened last December at the Holy Trinity Church in Maitama-Abuja while food was being distributed to the least fortunate had nothing to do with the church’s negligence.

An extraordinary 5,000 or so needy and vulnerable people showed up for the occasion, he claimed.
According to Kaigama, there were fatalities and injuries as a result of the struggle as people rushed to enter through the church gate due to the pressure and fear caused by the massive crowd outside the building.

“Certainly, due to the heightened economic hardship affecting many families in the country,” Kaigama said, emphasizing that the Church should not be held accountable. They never arrived because we were careless. They arrived because they were hungry.

“The Catholic Church is not to blame for their hunger,” he continued. Please search elsewhere if you are trying to find the culprit. Not the Catholic Church, of course.I’ll say it again: nobody should be let to die needlessly while merely trying to find food. Isn’t it disheartening that we will say in the future and in history that individuals perished here only because they were unable to find food?

Isn’t it a disgrace to the country? The international community is also curious about what is happening to Nigeria given our enormous and abundant natural and human resources, he added.
The church would take appropriate preventative action to make sure that such a shameful situation doesn’t occur again in the future, the archbishop promised.
By calling them the church’s heroes, he also attempted to boost the spirits of the priests and St. Vincent De Paul members who were in charge of distributing the palliatives.

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In order to support the underprivileged and disadvantaged in society, Kaigama also asked the government to work more closely with the church and other faith-based organizations in the future.
In particular, he cautioned Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), to figure out how to work with the Catholic Church to help the underprivileged and preserve the lives of those in need.

According to Kaigama, he is excited to meet with Wike to discuss ideas about how the FCT and the church might work together to improve the lives of those who live in the capital city.
Speaking through one of his aides, the FCT Minister reaffirmed his support for the Catholic Church.

Additionally, a spokesperson for the FCT Police Commissioner stated that the Police Force has learned from the December incident and will make sure it doesn’t happen again.
Similarly, AIG Ben Igwe, the Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone 7 in Abuja, stated that the security personnel and the church have both learned enough from the December tragedy to be ready to prevent a recurrence.
When food and other necessities were distributed at the Catholic Church in Maitama-Abuja in December, ten persons lost their lives and eleven were hurt.
A significant number of people, including churchgoers, government officials, and international diplomats, attended the memorial church service.