By Jude Michael
Fiery Enugu priest, Rev Fr Ejike Mbaka, has called out to the President of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to address the level of insecurity and hardship in the country before to save Nigerians from further misery.
Mbaka, who made the call last Sunday, noted that there were many obstacles in Tinubu’s way to becoming the president, including the Naira redesign policy, but said Tinubu succeeded by an act of providence. Mbaka however said the president was yet to exhibit political will towards solving the country’s problems.
He singled out corruption in the oil sector, which, he said, was under a certain cabal, but regretted that President Tinubu was yet to go against them.
The charismatic priest said these while delivering a homily at his Adoration Ministry in Emene, Enugu State.
He asked the President to wake up, stressing that God was watching him.
‘Mr President, you can do it; to fix Nigeria is not difficult if the leader has the will power. I know that this one will make national news but let it be.
‘What is happening in the oil sector? How many barrels are being produced and how many dollars are in the Nigerian account?
‘A country like Nigeria that exports millions of barrels of oil per month, how much are we saving?
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‘Why is it difficult up till now to fix other refineries? Who are the cabals? Can’t they be de-cabalized? Cabals can be de-cabalized if the president has the will power; hell will not fall, heaven will not fall.
‘These people can go to jail; after all, many of them did not support you; so why are you protecting them? Mr President, wake up, God is watching you to see what you can do,’ Mbaka said amid cheers from his parishioners.
He went further to say that the citizens were all heartbroken, urging the president to fix things fast.
According to him, ‘Our hearts are broken; go to our schools, see how messy the government schools are; are we taking care of our teachers and our doctors? Look at how they are; when they travel abroad, they begin to mine money in pounds and dollars.
‘Teachers, once they retire, no gratuity, no pension; the hearts of the retirees are broken; let there be a law that will bring solution to all these maladies.
‘Heartbreak everywhere. Look at our police and military, their hearts are also broken; what kind of guns are the policemen using? When the senior squad passes, they will kill the policemen at the watch post and carry their guns and run away. What happens to their families when their husbands die on the duty post?
‘No compensation; the next one minute, they chase them out of the barracks; those who are in Borno forests fighting Boko Haram, what is happening to their families at home? Who is taking care of them?
‘The hearts of their family members are broken, shattered; they are fighting those with bombs with catapult; those people they are fighting are carrying (rocket) launchers.
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‘How many young men have we buried and still burying? Insecurity everywhere.’
The Catholic priest also warned that a higher wave of hunger was underway in the country if insecurity was not dealt with.
He said, ‘We are asking people to go to the farm and produce; but if you enter the farm, herdsmen with AK-47 will enter the farm and kill the farmers, who will go to the farm anymore?
‘Hunger, as I told you last two years, has not even started; I won’t tell you lies; everybody should be meaningfully engaged, start something.
‘In Nkerefi last time, about six women who were farming were killed and their stomachs brought out; who will go to the farm there again? The fear is there.
‘Even politicians who think they are safe in their comfort zone, you are not safe because the level of insecurity will come to your doorstep one day.’
Turning again to Presdent Tinubu, Mbaka said, ‘I know that this man that has come to be the president of the country, if he submits himself to God, with enough will power, God has blessed him in wealth, he has not come as a beggar like many politicians who failed election and they almost committed suicide because they used all they have to do election.
‘Jagaban is not a poor man; so he can do something extraordinary; do it the other way round; shock all these people who are criminals; devise a policy that will bring security, bring joy to the Nigerian people and you will see there will begin to be a meaningful transformation.
‘Look at the banks of today giving people loans with interest of 25 per cent; some 26, some 27, how can you pay back? With which collateral?
‘So, what’s the hope of the youths? All they need is encouragement.’
