The Bishop of the Sokoto Dioceses, Most Rev. Matthew Hassan Kukah, has appealed to Nigerians to continue to have faith in the country.
“God will do great things for our nation, but we individuals must renew our commitment towards self-examination and repentance,” he said.
He also advised leaders to remain truthful and fine-tune their actions towards solving the nation’s challenges.
Kukah advised in an interactive session with newsmen as part of the Christmas celebrations on Tuesday in Sokoto.
He said Nigeria is endowed with human and mineral resources but faces resource management challenges.
Lamenting how a lack of patriotism was affecting the development of the country, he called on governments at all levels to focus on meeting the yearnings and aspirations of the citizens with constructive directions and a framework for policy decisions.
He cautioned Nigerians against accumulating illicit funds mostly stashed in foreign banks, stressing that some of the investments in such countries were alarming and disappointing.
“It is high time ordinary brilliant Nigerians in the nation’s hospitals and academia are appreciated and encouraged.
“More is needed to cushion the effect of the fuel subsidy removal; palliatives should be regarded as temporary measures.
“Government should also fine-tune measures to end kidnapping and other security challenges in the interest of a prosperous nation,” Kukah said.
He appealed to leaders to have credible direction on the Renewed Hope Agenda and tailor it on a solid foundation of faith and hope for the restoration of glory for the country.
Kukah cautioned against over-sensationalising of investigations of fraud cases. Rather, he said the government should focus on policies that would have a meaningful impact on citizens.
He emphasised the need for more infrastructure development and scientific ways of dealing with corrupt practices to avoid distraction.
“There must be a deliberate effort to restore hope to the poor and vulnerable in our society,” he said.
