Rt. Rev. Dr. Humphrey B. Olumakaiye
The Diocesan Bishop and Missioner, Diocese of Lagos, Anglican Communion, Rt. Rev. Dr. Humphrey B. Olumakaiye, has expressed concern towards the continued incarceration of the Christian girl, Leah Sharibu in the den of Boko Haram abductors.
Olumakaiye who made this known in his Christmas message to Nigerians, called on the entire Christian community to come together and compel the speedy release of Leah and others in captivity.
Said Olumakaiya: “As we celebrate Christmas, Leah Shuaibu remains a grave concern for the nation, not only because of the nature of the abduction or the lengthy period since she was last seen, but for the seeming lack of sustained pressure towards her release. It is my view that if the entire Christian community comes together, we can jointly compel Leah’s and others speedy release”.
He noted that Christmas Season is a unique season that brings people to the consciousness of the peace that Christ brought to them as individuals, as a family and as nation.
Remarked he: “Christmas reminds us of how Christ brought us out of darkness into God’s marvelous light. Peace on earth! That was what the angels sang to the shepherds (Luke 2:14). That was what Isaiah saw in his vision of the coming Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). That was what Micah expected from the Baby of Bethlehem (Mic.5:5).”
While listing numerous vices and challenges confronting the nation, he expressed gratitude to God for the relative peace witnessed in the country.
Said he: “When we look within as a nation, we see continuing raids and attacks, loss of lives and many things looking so unsettled while a lot of people are starving. In some places, people are crowded in refugee camps that lack simple basic human needs like portable drinking water. Millions of people have little hope for the future.
“Our tribal diversity, religion and tight communal ties, the very elements that promote our rich culture are weaponised and unleashed among us. The remarkable innovations in mobile telecommunications which was deployed to transform our economy became deadly channels of subterfuge and deception. Tribal sentiments were whipped up, fuelled and fanned. Yet, we thank God, peace prevailed. What the Lord has done and continues to do for us in Nigeria, mere words would fail to express our appreciation to God.”
He urged Nigerians to continue to pray for their leaders, adding that good leadership is the basis of progress in any nation.
Noted he: “Our leaders need more prayers, leadership is a critical factor to a nation’s progress but it has pre-loaded inputs.
“Competence, savvy, dexterity and intelligence are key, but so also is integrity and fairness. These are qualities sorely lacking in our time. A familiar phrase has it that when the desirable is not available, the available becomes the desirable”.
While commending the nation’s leadership on maintaining a relative stable foreign exchange regime for most of the year, he expressed concern over inordinate spending, the national debt burden, as well as depleting foreign exchange reserves especially in the second half of 2019.
Said the cleric: “Economists are positing that this portends a further depletion of our currency, worsening economy and impending hardship. Again we implore our leaders to avoid plunging the nation into any undue economic bondage”.
He also noted the increasing profile of the nation’s transportation sector, particularly the railway transportation.
Said he: “It is our expectation that the stability of the polity will usher a speedier resolution to the entire transportation sector.
“As we approach the New Year, 2020, I envision an encouraging future replete with not just hope but also fulfillment and prosperity. Let us go into the New Year with strong core values and convictions that are based upon the standards of God’s word. I wish you a very Merry Christmas and phenomenal Year 2020”.
