We, Catholic Bishops of Ibadan Ecclesiastical Province, comprising Ibadan Archdiocese (www.IbadanArchdiocese.org), Ilorin, Ondo, Oyo, Ekiti and Osogbo Dioceses, after prayerful deliberations at our first assembly for the 12 months 2025 on the Jubilee Convention Centre, JCC, Oke Ado, Ibadan have prayerfully deliberated on problems with Church and nationwide curiosity and hereby difficulty the next communique:
1. Pilgrims in a Jubilee Yr of Hope
The Church continues in her effort to fulfil the mandate of the Lord Jesus Christ to enter the entire world and make disciples of all nations and promote the dominion of God on earth. In pursuit of that goal she realizes that conserving hope alive in each circumstance is crucial to her mandate and mission. Jesus commanded his followers to maintain hope in adversity when he mentioned “On the earth you’ll have hardship, however be brave: I’ve conquered the world” (Jn 16:33). The Holy Father Pope Francis restated the crucial of hope by declaring 2025 as a Jubilee Yr of Hope. Such jubilees happen each 25 years and assist to give attention to themes which are central to the well being of the human household. With the theme: “Pilgrims of Hope”, this Jubilee Yr of Hope subsequently calls all God’s youngsters to change into pilgrims of hope, sowing hope in a world affected by the impacts of conflict, insurgency, the local weather disaster, poverty and different vices. We urge all our devoted subsequently to carry on to that hope which by no means disappoints us and to imagine that God can have the ultimate say. by dwelling holy lives.
2. Public Safety as Accent of Hope
As leaders of the Church in Ibadan Ecclesiastical Province we commend our political leaders for managing the safety scenario on this land fairly effectively for the previous couple of years, making the hope of the folks in a greater future to develop. This proves the dictum that when there may be life, there may be hope. Residents must be alive to work for higher occasions. Our leaders nonetheless can’t relaxation on their oars. We should denounce the risk posed extra just lately by the resurgence of the menace of herdsmen assaults, kidnappings, robberies and different crimes in elements of Yorubaland. We attraction to governors and safety businesses within the Southwestern States to rise as much as the problem posed by these threats in an effort to keep the relative peace and safety of latest years. Environment friendly intelligence gathering, good remunerations and equipping of our safety outfits and a dedication to prosecute crime with out favour, are all crucial for the availability of safety of life and property and have to be pursued with single mindedness.
3. Meals Safety as Sustainer of Hope
It’s virtually 2 years now when the present administration got here to energy with glowing guarantees of a greater life for all Nigerians. Regrettably, thousands and thousands of Nigerians nonetheless yearn for probably the most primary requirements of life. It ought to fear the federal government in any respect ranges that “Ebi npa wa” that means “We’re hungry” has change into a extra fashionable tune on the lips of many Nigerians than the celebrated nationwide, regional or state anthems. Whereas commending some cheering strides made by some governments to advertise agriculture, we urge the federal government in any respect ranges to speculate extra in agriculture, facilitate the involvement of the youth in it and increase provision of meals in a sustainable method via improved safety and put methods in place to scale back the escalated price of meals throughout Nigeria. A rustic that can’t feed its residents just isn’t value its sovereignty. That is much more true of Nigeria which is effectively endowed with all the required substances for meals sufficiency. With out meals for the inhabitants. hope is troublesome to instill and productiveness is diminished as a result of a hungry folks is a restive folks. We enjoin authorities to interact with consultants and inventive, social engineers to scale back the speed of starvation in society as an added technique of strengthening the hope of our residents. It’s troublesome to maintain hope on hungry stomachs.
4. The Media as Purveyors of Hope
The media is known as the fourth property of the realm. Principally, no programme of public curiosity can absolutely succeed with out the cooperation of the media. We thank the media and media staff in Nigeria for the function they’ve performed in sustaining the tenuous sanity in Nigeria, typically at nice danger to their very own survival. We enjoin the federal government and safety businesses to see the media as companions in nation constructing and desist from all types of intimidation and gimmick to gag the media. A free press is the true antidote to dictatorship and a catalyst for human improvement. We subsequently urge Nigerians to make sure that the media stays free to do its job. Conversely the media should resist its obsession with unhealthy information on the expense of balanced reporting which highlights each good and unhealthy issues occurring within the society with equal ardour. Solely on this method can the media change into true allies and purveyors of hope in mobilizing public vitality and creativity to collectively conquer the challenges going through us all. Notion and picture have an enormous function to play within the improvement of any nation and the media is a important contributor to the picture which a nation initiatives of itself each regionally and internationally.
5. The Urgency of Transformative Management
That Nigeria remains to be in dire straits on many ranges doesn’t want any emphasis. Most Nigerians from completely different views really feel the debilitating impact of poor governance, relentless pursuit of wealth in any respect prices sidelining of the rule of regulation, corruption in our establishments and people, and the erosion of moral values and virtues from a few years previous and a tragic neglect and exploitation of probably the most susceptible members of the society. To be able to restore hope to such a depressed populace, Nigeria urgently wants transformative management. It wants coaching in intentional management that instills values of integrity, service and ethical braveness which won’t spend useful time lamenting the woes of the society however which takes decisive motion backed by private sacrifice to counter them. We as a Church are dedicated to offering and supporting transformative schooling and packages which is able to equip and encourage our youth with the instruments to guide with integrity, reorientate their values by prioritizing hardwork, honesty, solidarity and compassion over crass materialism. We’re dedicated via our businesses and personnel to offer mentorship for our youth to study from skilled leaders to cherish accountability and transparency and train them the best way to change into themselves pilgrims of hope and reconciliation in our depressed and fractured nation. We name on our authorities and personal establishments to commit to those identical noble goals and extra, we ask them to offer infrastructure and incentives to coach, allow and encourage our folks to earn an trustworthy dwelling via higher infrastructure. Provided that we proceed on this method can we change into collectively true brokers of hope for our nation.
6. Hope in President Tinubu’s Nationwide Confab with the Youth
The nationwide confab for youth proposed by the President shouldn’t be one other speak store or beauty train. It ought to be a hope-generating concept that the younger folks of this nation can have a say within the affairs of the nation. Whereas acknowledging the challenges which will come up from the method of choosing contributors, we urge the federal government to make sure a clear and trustworthy technique of choice that can assure a good and widespread illustration of the younger folks all around the nation. We’re satisfied that such a confab of youth can generate contemporary inventive concepts if and provided that the federal government will get the illustration course of proper with genuine spokespersons of the youth throughout Nigeria.
Conclusion
In conclusion we attraction to all Nigerians to proceed to be Good Samaritans to 1 one other. To have religion is to imagine within the frequent fraternity of all by bringing hope to all whom they meet. Allow us to be pushed by the phrases and motion of Jesus Christ on the Final Supper. When he washed the ft of his disciples he mentioned: “If I, then, the Lord and Grasp, have washed your ft, you will need to wash one another’s ft. I’ve given you an instance so that you could be copy what I’ve finished to you” (Jn.13:14-15)
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Catholic Archdiocese of Ibadan.
