Hardship: Stand Your Ground, Take Responsibility – Bishop Nwokolo Tells Nigerians

By Mmaduabuchi Onwumelu

Bishop on the Niger, Anglican Communion, Anambra State, Rt Rev Dr Owen Nwokolo, has advised Nigerians to firmly stand their ground and take responsibility instead of giving up or blaming governments.

The prelate also counselled the citizens to use their hands to produce tangible things of great value capable of benefitting themselves and others wherever they found themselves.

Nwokolo who gave the advice in his 2024 Easter Message to Nigerians maintained that the best way to approach the present economic difficulty in the country was for the citizens to firmly stand their ground and take responsibility.

He argued that governments would be ashamed of themselves and consequently be forced to rethink and do the needful if Nigerians seriously engage ourselves in meaningful ventures of great value.

He said, ‘Although governments have the responsibility to provide direction, leadership and basic facilities to make things work, the citizenry can fight for their own survival if governments are not forthcoming.

‘What one should take note of in this type of situation in which Nigerians have found themselves is that everyone, as an individual, should diligently take up responsibility by taking lead in their little corners.

‘In their little comers, they should show exemplary leadership. In their little corners, they should use their hands to produce tangible things of great value capable of benefitting others.

‘In the little corner you find yourself, grow crops, plant economic trees, rear animals. These will, invariably, someday help to feed one or two persons , by so doing you will have contributed immensely towards alleviating hunger and starvation in the
family.

‘What we are saying is that everybody should take up responsibility. Let us not wait untill the governments do everything for us.

‘In fact, I tell you the truth, if we seriously engage ourselves in all these things, the governments definitely will be ashamed of themselves and consequently will be forced to rethink and do the needful, for there is this Igbo saying that when the egg kracks the palm kernel, the stone becomes ashamed of itself.

‘So, I believe there is still hope for us, Nigerians, because the country is abundantly blessed with human and material sources. We have good brains and able-bodied human power capable of turning the fortunes of the country overnight.

Bishop Nwokolo further observed that Nigeria was not prone to natural disasters apart from some man-made misfortunes.

‘We are blessed. We are reasonably stable. So we have the opportunity of using the human and natural resources we have to turn around our ailing circumstances,’ he emphasized.