BY: VITALIS UGOH, Calabar
The Archbishop, Province of Niger Delta (Anglican Communion), Most Rev.Tunde Adeleye, has described some leaders from the Niger Delta region as complete total failure for over three decades running.
He stated this in Calabar yesterday while answering questions from newsmen at a press briefing on the 2020 Synod at the Cathedral church of the Holy Trinity ( Anglican) Communion in Calabar.
He said ” some of them don’t care about the welfare of their people. They are very selfish and bunch of irresponsible leaders”.
Rather than think and discuss the welfare of their people they prefer satisfying themselves and their immediate families, he added.
According to him, “in the past three decades or so, “there are no good access roads, no electricity, no employment, kidnapping, lopsided appointments just to mention but a few and they claim that they are our leaders “.
He said, “there is hunger everywhere in the region. There is no security, we live in fear. No new Infrastructural development in the area except the old one established by our founding fathers.”.
Adeleye who spoke on so many issues, regretted that inspite of his outbursts over the years, the federal government had deliberately refused to address “corruption, unemployment, China loan, rape and poverty”.
These issues if not critically addressed will launch the nation into a very difficult economic woes.
He wondered why the Federal government had abandoned the issue of huge fraud in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) till today without addressing it. About 18,5 billion Naira was spent by interim management between October 2019 and May 31,2020″.
On poverty, Adeleye expressed sadness that “poverty has continued to be a very obvious headache in Nigeria. Nigerians still look for food in the dustbins, even in major cities. Talking very seriously, there is no reason why any Nigerian should be poor. The cause of our suffering has been said to be actually bad leadership and management. God will give us leaders who can still care about the ordinary Nigerians”.
He said corruption is as a result of our romance for bribery, crime, extortion, fraud, nepotism, crookedness, tribalism, religious bigotry and unscrupulousness of life”.
He thanked God that despite the Covid-19 pandemic, outbreak, so many Nigerians are still alive. As Christians, we are to pray for Nigeria We cannot turn our back on this great country. We need to ascertain that God is at work in Nigeria “.
“God has enabled us to accomplish several other attainment including the fact that we are now prepared to inaugurate more Archdeaconries and God willing, more Dioceses”.
The Archbishop also called for the introduction of true federalism. True federalism allows for autonomous operation of the states and states functionalities. We have different languages, cultures, traditions, beliefs, backgrounds, civilisation, arts, sciences, conventions, etymology lifestyle and religion in Nigeria “.
According to him, “unless these powers are broken down and distributed to the states, governance will not meet expectations”.