Ignatius Kaigama, Catholic Archbishop of Abuja region in Nigeria, has urged Leaders who stole from public and individual treasuries to return the loot and ask for forgiveness from God.
According to the Archbishop, all the money made due to crime and national assets which are recovered must be put to good use, including building first-class, well-equipped and well-managed hospitals in every geo-political zone. He wants all the citizens of Nigeria to have easy access to them.
Catholic Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama advised this in his adress delivered at Our Lady Queen of Nigeria Pro-Cathedral in Abuja, titled, “The Merciful Face of God.”
He believes that Nigeria can experience tremendous success only when greed changes to generosity and selfishness to selflessness.
Kaigama believed that by entering Zacchaeus’s house, Jesus showed love to the sinner. However, he still hated his sin. The archbishop said that when he returned what he stole from the people, the dignity and sense of self-worth of Zacchaeus were restored.
Kaigama added that in this way, Zacchaeus broke away from his sinful habits and past practices. He was able to recreate a healthy relationship with God.
According to the archbishop, Zacchaeus committed to doing justice by sharing his wealth with poor and making ammends to the people he had defrauded. His commitment should be a vade maccum (a guide for ready reference) for the leaders who have deprived the poor for a long time.
Archbishop Kaigama believes, “This is a call for our nation to become mindful. Large sums of money which was meant for the public good are stolen, misappropriated and diverted by those in Nigeria’s political offices and public service.
Further, Archbishop Kaigama stated that We continue to hope that the relevant financial crime agencies will curb financial crimes and nation-crippling activities. He also hoped the government would use the recovered national assets judiciously.
He believes the nation will experience greater success when greed changes to generosity and selfishness to selflessness.
