Rt. Rev. Emmanuel Chukwuma, former Archbishop of the Anglican Diocese of Enugu, expressed concern over Nigeria’s persistent rising poverty levels over the past nine years.
Chukwuma urged President Bola Tinubu to conduct direct social dialogues with the Nigerian people to understand their concerns and clarify government policies.
According to Chukwuma, the current government is being led by a small, disconnected group that has shown little empathy for the challenges faced by ordinary Nigerians.
He expressed frustration with what he described as a “rubber-stamped” National Assembly, which he believes has failed to fulfill its role in holding the government accountable.
“Poverty is rampant. We have governments running deficit budgets while they have enough funds that are being squandered,” Chukwuma stated.
He also pointed out that voices such as the Nigeria Labour Congress and politician Peter Obi are echoing the concerns of the people, but the leadership appears unresponsive to these calls.
The former Archbishop emphasized the need for politicians to focus on the immediate concerns of the populace rather than looking ahead to the 2027 general elections.
“It is greedy to be planning for re-election when there are so many pressing issues to address,” he said, calling on leaders to engage directly with their constituents.
Chukwuma also criticized the proposed Tax Reform Bill currently before the National Assembly.
He argued that the bill is unfair and benefits only a select few while placing further burdens on the already struggling population.”Government borrows money and then taxes the people. This is selective injustice,” he said.
He advocated for the bill to be paused until it can be properly explained to the public and debated across the country.
In his final remarks, Chukwuma blamed Nigeria’s electoral system for the country’s ongoing struggles, asserting that election outcomes often do not reflect the true wishes of the voters.
He criticized the role of electoral umpires, alleging they are often compromised by bribes, which contributes to the nation’s political instability. “We are simply in the wilderness,” he added