The President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), Most Rev. Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji, delivered a homily expressing concern that the country is teetering on the brink of collapse following the removal of fuel subsidy without adequate measures to mitigate its effects.

Speaking during the reception of the Supreme Subordinate President of the Knights of St. John International, Prof. Remy Uche, in Owerri, Ugorji stressed that palliative measures could not be a long-term solution to economic or health challenges.

The CBCN president criticized the government for providing palliatives as a response to the subsidy removal, stating that such measures would not sustainably address the nation’s economic crisis.

He questioned the decision to withdraw the subsidy without effectively tackling corruption and identifying those responsible for misusing public funds.

Ugorji emphasized the need to confront the root of Nigeria’s problems, which he attributed to widespread corruption, and called for collective efforts to fight corruption in all its forms to secure the nation’s future.