Okey Maduforo, Awka.
The Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Nnaemeka Achebe (Agbaogidi), has thrown his royal weight behind the Catholic Bishops Conference over the state of affairs in Nigeria, stating that the situation in the country has worsened.
Achebe further dismissed the positions of top government functionaries in the cabinet of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, describing them as an act of playing the ostrich in the face of hardship and insecurity across the country.
Agbaogidi, who disclosed this at the 25th Ofala Onitsha Festival, contended that it amounted to a grave misrepresentation for government functionaries to go to town with the impression that the Catholic Bishops did not represent the Nigerian populace, noting that, truth be told, all was not well with the Nigerian masses.
“In my 2024 Ofala address, I remarked that the previous twelve months were marked by uncertainties following the general elections.
“I noted that the well-being of the polity had declined even more steeply in 2024. Unfortunately, the hardship had further deepened by 2025, thereby throwing more people below the poverty line.
“I referred to the World Bank Development Update on Nigeria, which stated that some 104 million people had been classified as poor in 2023. “The situation was worsened by unending insecurity in most parts of the country. I then called on the government to make urgent provisions for the poorest in our society.”
Achebe recalled that “on Tuesday, 28 July 2026, the leadership of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria paid a courtesy visit to Mr. President and raised the persistent issues of national security and the severe economic plight of the majority of our citizens.
“Unfortunately, some government officials politicised the visit by claiming that the bishops spoke only for their congregation. “The officials asserted that all was well in the country. But, truth be told, the issues raised transcend political, religious, and ethnic partisanship.”
He observed that hunger, unemployment, poor and inaccessible medical services, insecurity, and other inadequacies in human development were pervasive across the country. He appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to give urgent attention to the dire situation on the ground.
Speaking on the 2027 general elections, Igwe Achebe lamented that political officeholders had abdicated their primary responsibilities in favour of re-election campaigns, adding that this was to the peril of the masses.
“The national elections are barely three months away. Expectedly, the attention of the political class has increasingly turned to political positioning and away from governance.
“Democratic elections are opportunities for the electorate to select the candidates that would deliver the best governance.”
He therefore opined that it was imperative for non-partisan stakeholder groups, including traditional and religious institutions, town unions, and civil society organisations, to intensify their advocacy, mobilisation, and enlightenment efforts to ensure free and fair elections. “Also, the political parties must abhor violence and engage in healthy, issues-based campaigns to enable the electorate to make the right choices.”
Achebe lauded the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for its transparent conduct of the Osun State governorship election but urged the commission to improve on that performance in next year’s general election. “Except for reports of violence and intimidation, the recent off-cycle governorship election in Osun State demonstrated robust campaigning, massive voter turnout, and reasonable performance by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“The election has become a marker for the coming national elections, and all eyes are on INEC to deliver free and fair outcomes.”
He called on the people of the South-East states to shake off their historical apathy towards elections. “We cannot stay away from elections and turn around to complain of marginalisation. In a democracy, all votes count. Therefore, we must come out and vote for our candidates.”
Speaking on the theme of this year’s Ofala Onitsha Festival, Achebe explained the need for hard work and perseverance.
“The theme for this year’s Ofala is ‘Igba Mbo, Iga n’Iru: Strive and Advance.’ This is a sequel to the previous themes.
“In 2023, ‘Better. Together. Stronger.’ was a call for consolidation on our breakthroughs while galvanising for future challenges.
“In 2024, ‘Courage. Perseverance. Self-reliance: Onye Kwe, Chi’e Ekwe’ was a reflection on the prevailing hardship, as well as an expression of empathy and encouragement to our people to survive the hardship,” he said.
