The former Archbishop of Abuja Catholic Archdiocese, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, has called for policy review to minimise the current economic hardship in the country.
He made the call in an interview with newsmen on the sideline of a Marian Concert, organised to mark the 2024 feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Abuja.
The concert which was orgnaised by the Madonna Choir of St. Charles Lwanga parish and partner societies was titled “The Four Dogmas of the Blessed Virgin Mary.’’
Onaiyekan who decried the economic hardship in the country, urged Nigerians to use the occasion to pray for leaders at all levels to always make the right decisions to curb the tension in the land.
“if the nation is ruled well, there is more likely to be peace, by ruling well we mean, when there is a sense of justice and equity; that our common resources are equitably distributed not equally because we cannot all have the same salary.
“There is a limit to what that people can handle. You can’t tell someone to be patient with poverty while we see the people who are supposed to address our poverty, live flamboyantly, building huge mansions and having fleets of cars without caring how they are fueled whereas, the rest of us are queuing to get a few litres of fuel,” he said.
He said: “ there’s need to review some of the policies that are giving rise to the kind of pain and poverty that we are not familiar with, we are not used to this, the middle class is now being completely whipped out, everybody is now becoming poor.
“We are praying especially now that we are celebrating a Marian Concert, that Mother Mary who is the Queen of Peace and Queen of Nigeria, will help us handle the nation so everyone will live in peace with one another and enjoy the good that God has given to this country”.
In his remarks, the Parish Priest, Rev. Fr. Thomas Edogbanya urged Nigerians not to lose hope in the face of difficulties bedeviling the country.
He said that Mary, whose nativity the concert celebrated, was faced with so many setbacks in life but her faith and hope in God never failed.
“That means we can have setbacks in our lives, but the hope that at the birth of our mother Mary will give us peace no matter how difficult things are, especially for Nigerians, there is hope that the future will be bright.
“The best has been brought through that is the saviour of the world, that is the hope of every Christian it is not the moment we celebrate but the future,” he said.
On his part, the Music Director, Mr Charles Arua, said that the concert was in honour of the roles of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the salvation of humanity.
According to him, Mary who is the mother of Jesus Christ is not celebrated enough, hence, the need to organise the concert to mark her birthday.
“We are celebrating a great woman who also had her tribulations especially at the birth of Jesus Christ and being there when Christ suffered and died at Calvary.
“The greatest take away here is that, no matter challenges you are passing through, once you seek the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the problem will be solved.
“I use this opportunity to encourage everybody, when you have any problem and you believe in the power of the rosary, the power of the intercession of our blessed mother, say the rosary, go to her,” he said.
According to him, as she did at Cana at the wedding feast, she will intercede for you, I am a living witness to that. (NAN)
