The Bishop of the Katsina Catholic Diocese, Most Reverend Gerald Mamman Musa, has called on the Federal Government to extend targeted support to farmers and rural workers while strengthening micro, small, and medium enterprises through grants and soft loans, in line with the spirit of the Christmas season.
He also warned against tax policies that lack empathy, urging the government to recover revenues lost to illegal mining, oil theft, reckless borrowing, and waste, and to cut excessive government spending before placing further burdens on poor citizens.
Bishop Musa made the appeal in his Christmas message titled “LET PEACE BE BORN AGAIN IN NIGERIA,” delivered on Wednesday during a press conference at the Katsina Catholic Church. He stressed that taxation should never become a punishment for poverty.
“Public funds are being quietly redirected into political machinery while communities continue to cry out for food, security, and jobs. Such leaders must remember that God came among the poor, not the powerful, and that a government that ignores the weak contradicts the very spirit of Christmas.
“In the light of this, Christmas urges us to remember the poor—the farmers, market women, artisans, self-employed citizens, and the small business owners who form the backbone of the Nigerian economy.
“These groups continue to suffer from insecurity, inflation, and the ripple effects of the removal of fuel subsidy.
“The government must therefore provide targeted support for farmers and rural workers, strengthen micro, small, and medium enterprises through grants and soft loans, avoid taxes that lack a human and compassionate face, recover revenue lost to illegal mining, oil theft, reckless borrowing, and waste, and cut government excesses before tightening belts for the poor. Taxation must not become a punishment for being poor.”
Shifting from religious reflections to governance, the bishop said Christmas should remind leaders that divide-and-rule tactics belong to tyrants, not true shepherds of the people.
“Leadership is not a chessboard to be manipulated but a sacred trust to be honoured. Furthermore, it is troubling that in our beloved nation, some individuals have turned themselves into instruments of darkness,” he said.
He expressed concern that many political actors, despite worsening economic hardship, have abandoned governance in favour of early campaigns ahead of the 2027 elections.
“Equally concerning is the behaviour of many political actors who, amid deepening hardship, have already abandoned governance for early campaigns ahead of the 2027 elections,” the Bishop added.
Bishop Musa lamented that public resources are being diverted into political interests while citizens struggle with hunger, insecurity and unemployment. He further warned that violent crimes such as kidnapping, banditry and assassination have become profitable ventures for a few.
“Most Reverend Musa said that kidnapping, banditry, assassination, and organised violence have become profitable ventures for a few at the expense of the many.
“Let it be known clearly: no one profits from blood without inviting judgment upon themselves. To those who enrich themselves through the tears of farmers, traders, travellers, and vulnerable citizens, Scripture declares emphatically, “There is no peace for the wicked” (Isaiah 48:22), he said.
He also raised alarm over the activities of foreign miners whom he accused of exploiting Nigeria’s mineral resources while fuelling conflict and dispossessing local communities.
“Compounding this tragedy is the growing presence of foreign miners who have come not as partners but as predators—looting our mineral wealth while igniting conflicts that dispossess our people.
“Another African proverb captures this reality well: ‘When the visitor begins to harvest more than the host, something is wrong.’
“Nigeria must protect its children before protecting its minerals, and must ensure that its land, its resources, and its future are not auctioned to those who exploit rather than uplift.”
What you should know
Bishop Gerald Mamman Musa’s Christmas message reflects growing concerns among religious leaders about Nigeria’s economic hardship, insecurity, and governance priorities.
His call focuses on protecting the poor, supporting small businesses, and ensuring tax policies are humane amid rising inflation and insecurity.
The bishop also warns against political self-interest, early electioneering and the exploitation of natural resources by illegal and foreign actors, urging leaders to return to people-centered governance inspired by justice, compassion, and accountability.
