The avaricious tendencies of the nation’s leaders have been fingered as the greatest drawback to the transformation agenda programme of President Goodluck Jonathan.
This was the assessment of the Anglican Bishop of Enugu Diocese, Dr. Emmanuel Chukwuma. He noted that “Nigerian leaders are greedy and unless they make conscious efforts to effect changes in their hearts, and do what is right, the transformation agenda of the Jonathan administration will remain a pipe dream’.
The cleric who made the declaration in his homily at the funeral service in honor of the late Dame Irene Mmachukwu Okwuosa, at the All Saints Anglican Church, Irefi-Oraifite in Ekwusigo council of Anambra state said that it was because of this manifest greed of the country’s leaders that they lead a selfish, greedy and avaricious lifestyle. They carry on as if they are not accountable to anybody including God and thereby subjected Nigerians to servitude and abject poverty in the midst of plenty.
Hear him, “Transformation can’t take place if our hearts can’t change. How can transformation occur when nearly three months into the New Year the National budget can’t be signed into effect.
“The problem with the Nigerian elite especially those in government is class distinction through which they subject the poor to perpetual sufferings”, he said, adding that it was time Nigerian leaders showed through deed and action what they have done to alleviate the sufferings of the people.
He poured encomiums on the late Dame Irene Okwuosa describing her as one with sound moral pedigree who left a legacy of philanthropy, humanity and godliness behind. That her life of diligence could be seen in all the offspring she left behind and all those who had come very close to her while alive.
That it was reason why she was honored by the church as both “Lady of Eminence”, Knight of St. Mary” and “Mother of Faith” by the Diocese of Nnewi.
Bishop Chukwuma therefore urged other women to emulate her while looking up to God who he noted rewarded her with four lovely successful sons including Venerable in the Anglican Communion.
Aged 85, and a retired prominent teacher late Dame Irene was among those who stood their grounds against the oppression of widows and compulsory shaving of their hairs at the death of their husbands. She was also noted for training graduates who were not her offspring, built houses for families, started businesses for individuals, trained young women who passed through her to be self reliant, and would insist that her children offer one form of help to the other people in need including scholarships to indigent students”.
