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Catholic Archbishop Cautions Nigerians against “better than thou attitude”

Archbishop Ignatius Ayau Kaigama with some parishioners of St. Mary’s Kary Parish of Abuja Archdiocese

By Silas Isenjia

Abuja, 19 June, 2023 / 4:31 pm (ACI Africa).

The Archbishop of Nigeria’s Abuja Archdiocese has cautioned the citizens of the West African nation against the “spirit of exclusivism” exemplified in the “better than thou attitude”, and called for the fostering of “harmonious social relationships”.

In his Sunday, June 18 homily at St. Mary’s Kary Parish of his Metropolitan See, Archbishop Ignatius Ayau Kaigama said that amid many challenges, Nigeria is “badly in need of the good news.”

“How our country could be very great if only we avoid ‘better than thou attitude,’ or the spirit of exclusivism and we obey God’s commandments and work towards harmonious social relationships,” Archbishop Kaigama said.

He added, “Nigeria has been too long in the news for the wrong reasons: for terrorism, kidnapping, cybercrime, drug trafficking, banditry, fraud, corruption.”

The Nigerian Catholic Archbishop also decried corruption and “wastage of resources”, saying that these evils have resulted in Nigeria attracting financial aid from “smaller countries in Europe with far fewer resources”. 

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“Officials who plunder mindlessly the people’s resources go scot-free because the whole system is shrouded in contemptuous corruption,” he said, praying that the “unpatriotic activities and huge wastage of resources in the name of governance will be a thing of the past.”

He challenged the new leaders in Africa’s most populous nation to avoid enriching themselves.

“It is not impossible for our leaders to cater to the poor and the needy in Nigeria. We however need leaders who identify with the people’s sufferings,” the Catholic Archbishop who started his Episcopal Ministry in April 1995 as the Local Ordinary of Nigeria’s Jalingo Diocese said.

He went on to assure Nigerians of God’s care and love even as they explore ways to deal with “the monumental and pervasive corruption, and the reckless use of resources or fraudulent strategies to win elections.”

God, Archbishop Kaigama said, “reaches out to us even when others think we are on the brink of collapse. No wonder, some people say that God must be a Nigerian!”

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Silas Isenjia

Silas Mwale Isenjia is a Kenyan journalist with a great zeal and interest for Catholic Church related communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Linguistics, Media and Communication from Moi University in Kenya. Silas has vast experience in the Media production industry. He currently works as a Journalist for ACI Africa.

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