The Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, Most Rev. Ignatius Kaigama, has called on Nigerian politicians to put God first and prioritize genuine service to the people rather than succumbing to greed and selfish ambitions.
Delivering his homily at Veritas University, Abuja, on Sunday, Kaigama accused politicians of neglecting their responsibilities and focusing prematurely on the 2027 elections because of the desire for wealth and power.
“In our world, where so often only power and wealth seem to count, God calls leaders, especially political leaders, to cultivate selfless giving and a leadership that serves rather than imposes or exploits,” Kaigama said.
He lamented that many politicians are already “frantically and desperately struggling” for elective positions in 2027 while ignoring present realities. According to him, such obsession has reduced governance to a contest of greed and self-interest rather than a mission of service.
The Archbishop challenged leaders to reflect on whether they are willing to sacrifice for the people they fight so hard to govern. He asked: “Are they willing to resist the temptation to selfishly acquire money that belongs to the people, to prioritize their comfort over the suffering poor, or to choose God over their possessions of dollars and properties abroad, while citizens suffocate in poverty?”
Kaigama stressed that Nigerian leaders could become more humane if they placed God above greed, more just if they prioritized divine wisdom over political calculations, and more effective if they brought God’s principles into governance to bridge the gap between the elite and ordinary Nigerians.
Citing a personal example, he expressed regret over the collapse of a major bridge in Namnai, Gassol Local Government Area of Taraba State, which has been abandoned for over a year despite its strategic importance in linking Taraba to Benue, Adamawa, and Southern Nigeria.
“The Federal Government, through the North East Development Commission (NEDC), pledged reconstruction in early 2025, yet nothing has been done. Where is the sensitivity of leadership? It is typical in Nigeria to dillydally until more lives are lost in addition to the many already lost,” he said.
Kaigama also decried the state of federal roads in Taraba, including the Jalingo-Numan, Zing, Gembu, Wukari, Ibi, Bali, and Karim Lamido roads, which he said have been neglected for decades, just like many others across the country.
He further expressed concern that the newly approved $32.5 million U.S. aid package for food and nutrition in Nigeria might be lost to corruption.
“While thanking the U.S. for the gesture, one may ask: Will the hundreds of thousands of vulnerable people affected really benefit from this emergency aid? The funds will naturally evaporate in administrative and bureaucratic malgovernance; swallowed up greedily in corruption by those who already have more than enough,” he warned.
Kaigama concluded with a reminder that politics and leadership must be rooted in God. “Our politics, our leadership, our strategies, our ambitions, if not rooted in God, become houses built on sand,” he said.
