SOLIDARITY VISIT TO IDPs IN MAIDUGURI
The Catholic Bishops of Jos Province paid a solidarity visit 26th to 27th October, 2016 to the Internally Displaced People in Maiduguri and celebrated Holy Mass with Bishop Oliver Doeme, priests, religious and the people of God at St. Patrick’s Cathedral Maiduguri.
The people’s faith is unshakable, their resilience incredible and their optimism rooted in God.
We are glad to know that President Buhari has inaugurated a Presidential Committee on North East Initiatives and even a bill on the North East Development Commission is currently being debated in the National Assembly. If these initiatives are realized they will certainly bring succour to the people and assure them of a brighter and hopeful future. We pray that these initiatives will result in the transparent and honest execution of projects in favour if the people and not like other initiatives where resources meant for the poor ended up being used to the advantage of officials while those who should be the beneficiaries sank deeper into poverty and misery. The Catholic Bishops of Maiduguri and Yola (Bishop Oliver Doeme and Bishop Stephen Mamza) played and are still playing very significant roles in hosting, feeding and caring for thousands of IDPs in Church premises without any discrimination based on religion or ethnicity. They have consistently remained in solidarity with the displaced and suffering people at the grassroots. I hope that they will be brought on board and be involved in any government initiative/programme truly targeted at improving the socio-economic conditions of the people. They and their priests have served and continue to serve the affected people with such gracious generosity of spirit and selflessness.
