In a critical assessment delivered on Sunday, the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) expressed deep concern over the state of the nation under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Labeling the current situation as “worrisome,” the bishops warned that Nigeria is “sitting on a ticking time bomb” and urged the president to tackle the nation’s pressing issues to prevent impending catastrophe.
Highlighting the persistent problems of poverty, hardship, and corruption, the bishops cautioned that these issues are likely to spark further youth protests. They also voiced grave apprehension regarding Nigeria’s escalating debt burden, pointing to the economic reforms implemented by President Tinubu, such as the removal of fuel subsidies and the floating of the naira, as responses to the financial strain from servicing international debts and addressing budget deficits.
The President of the CBCN, Most Rev. Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji, Archbishop of Owerri, delivered these remarks during the opening session of the 2024 Second Plenary Assembly of the CBCN, held in Auchi, Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State.