Donatus Aihmiosion Ogun, the Catholic bishop of the diocese of Uromi, has called on the government to implement sustainable measures to alleviate the high rate of poverty in Nigeria.
“The best way to alleviate poverty is not through government welfare or palliatives but by giving people something to do,” he stated during the recent 10th anniversary of his Episcopal ordination.
The Catholic bishop noted that poverty alleviation requires long-term solutions that empower individuals to become self-reliant. “If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.”
He stated further that skills are important, hence the need to train people on skills to sustain their livelihood with the ability to fend for themselves and their families and add value to society.
Read also: Nigeria’s poverty narrative has both federal, state governments as enablers
The clergyman called on the government to collaborate with the church and private businesses on creating meaningful economic opportunities for the people.
Bishop Ogun also called on the Edo State governor to prioritise investment and job creation to curb mass migration from rural areas to cities in search of opportunities.
“We talk about poverty, but part of it is mass rural-urban migration. Young people are leaving because they think there are jobs in the cities. But often, they get there and become even poorer. If we create opportunities here, they will stay,” he stated.
The Nigerian member of the Order of Saint Augustine (OSA), also encouraged priests to remain steadfast in their mission, urging them not to be discouraged by numbers in their parishes.
“A Priest in a parish probably has 200 parishioners and says, ‘my congregation is not big,’ comparing himself to a group with 350 people. But he forgets that those 200 are part of a much larger Catholic family—1.3 billion Catholics worldwide.”
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