The Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, Ignatius Kaigama, has called for the Federal Government’s N5 billion palliative grants to be directed specifically towards the poor and vulnerable in order to mitigate the impact of the fuel subsidy removal on these groups. Archbishop Kaigama emphasized the need for families to receive government empowerment and assistance for viable entrepreneurial endeavors, rather than mere grants and palliative care.
Speaking at the 4th Abuja Archdiocesan General Assembly, where the theme centered on “Marriage and Family in Contemporary Society,” Archbishop Kaigama highlighted the importance of addressing the fundamental causes of family breakdown, divorce, domestic violence, and inadequate care for the sick and elderly.
“We hope that the N5 billion palliative allocated by our President to each state and the FCT to cushion the effects of the fuel subsidy removal, and the N25,000 monthly grant, allocated to 15 million struggling Nigerian families from October – December 2023, will truly get into the hands of these poor and vulnerable people,” stated Archbishop Kaigama.
He underscored the significance of families promoting patriotism and law-abiding behavior among their members. Expressing concern over the involvement of young people in criminal activities, he urged families to play a pivotal role in preventing such occurrences.
According to the Archbishop, “An entire community is only as strong, stable, vibrant, and morally pure as its families,” emphasizing that families are the primary and most important unit of society. He noted that moral degeneration and the breakdown of families are signs of a collapsing nation, highlighting the necessity of healthy families for societal well-being.
Archbishop Kaigama pointed to modern ideas such as relativism, hedonism, and minimalism as contributors to the challenges faced by contemporary society. He specifically mentioned the abuse of Information and Communication Technology, particularly social media, as a potent threat to marriage and family life.
In conclusion, he stressed the crucial role of the family as the primary socialization agent, the fundamental social unit, and a connection to other institutions in society. Archbishop Kaigama emphasized that without strong families, there would be no society to practice religion, engage in education, politics, economy, and security.