As Nigerians join the rest of the world in celebration of Christmas, the President of the Catholic Bishop’s Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji has admonished Nigerians to resist the temptation of accumulating ill-gotten gains at the expense of others.
He also advised the people to always run away from depriving others unjustly of their means of livelihood which generates crimes and insecurity in the land.
In his Christmas message issued Friday in Owerri, the Archbishop of Owerri Catholic Diocese identified some of the vices as what drags down the nation and robs her of the dream of ever becoming great.
The Apostolic Administrator of Ahiara Catholic Diocese noted the need for all hands to join together in order to build a truly great and stable nation where each has ample opportunities to share in God’s sunshine.
He said: “let us be inspired by the infant-born king, who identifies with the poor and lowly, the persecuted and rejected. He is the Good shepherd, who does not sacrifice his sheep on the altars of narrow selfish interest. In Him, the sheep appointed to be slaughtered and sacrificed for sin, were ransomed by the blood of the shepherd.”
According to him, Nigerians should be a people with open and caring hearts, nation that makes the care of youth and priority.
Ugorji stated that as a nation, people should be more committed to youth development and empowerment if she is interested in her future
He said: “we should be diminished as a nation as many of our youths migrate daily for ‘greener pastures’ abroad. we cannot remain unconcerned with the groaning of the youth, robbed of a future by unemployment and poverty”.
The Archbishop reminded that Christ comes to the people at Christmas in the form of a little, weak and needy babe, adding that he teaches us that He who receives the little ones in the society, receives Him.
He reminded the people that only an open and caring heart can welcome Him who comes to us as little, poor and needy.
Archbishop Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji, President of the Catholic Bishop’s Conference of Nigeria (CBCN).
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