My Lord Spiritual,
Sir,
I bring you calvary greetings and hope this missive gets to you in good stead. Your flock in Abia needs a government that is transparent in the management of public funds and not to grow personal bank.
*Sir, the pulpit was never designed to be a marketplace for transactional loyalty to those in power. It is a sacred altar meant to defend truth, justice, morality, and the welfare of the people. Once men of God reduce the church to an extension of government public relations machinery, they weaken the moral authority of the church and betray the trust millions place in spiritual leadership.
*In difficult times like we face in Abia today, the responsibility of genuine spiritual leaders is not to flatter politicians but to courageously speak for the suffering masses whose voices are ignored.
*In Abia today, workers continue to battle very low salaries, poor welfare, rising house rent, hardship, inflation, unemployment, and declining living conditions. Pensioners are forced to forfeit their entitlements while other states have cleared backlog of pensions and gratuities. Just recently Anambra State cleared all with N22 billion, joining Imo, Enugu and Ebonyi governors in the league of states that cleared all. You kept a curious silence while the Judiciary staff went on strike for 3 months. Many civil servants have been unjustly sacked, while those in service can barely survive, yet you haven’t spoken on their behalf.
*It is morally troubling when you appear to be more interested in praising political office holders like you did with past administrations, instead of task them to solve the problems facing ordinary citizens.
*As a man of God, you should not speak from both sides of your mouth. The same Abia that was blind, was same you praised its past leaders when in power and today you are singing a different melody for the man in power currently. Truth shouldn’t depend on who is the current occupant of government House.
*A man of the pulpit who only speaks when it is politically convenient is no longer acting as a moral compass but as a political actor clothed in religious garments. The duty of the church, if I may remind you sir, is to comfort the afflicted and challenge those in authority whenever governance falls short of justice and fairness.
*It is therefore disappointing when a respected cleric like you continue to engage in excessive praise singing without first demanding measurable improvements in the lives of workers and ordinary citizens. Before applauding any government, questions must be asked about how much the government has received in revenue and then match with infrastructure on ground. With almost N2 trillion received in total revenue, Abia, under Otti hasn’t scratched the surface. Have salaries improved like in other states? Are workers receiving living wages? Has the welfare of pensioners changed meaningfully? Are hospitals functioning properly? My lord spiritual, these are questions you must answer.
*Bishop Opoko sir, if not for your “enviable” record of praise singing for every government in power, I would have suggested you have a critical examination of the infrastructure on ground and compare with almost N2 trillion received in total revenue by Otti’s administration before embarking on this familiar sycophantic path.
*Sir, If indeed the current government has received unprecedented revenues, then the expectations from the people should naturally be higher. Increased federal allocations should translate into visible improvements in workers’ welfare, infrastructure, healthcare, education, and economic opportunities and not endless applause from the pulpit while many citizens continue to struggle silently.
*The church must remain independent, courageous, and morally upright. Once the altar becomes compromised by political loyalty, the people lose one of the few remaining institutions expected to speak truth without fear or favour.
*Abians deserve spiritual leaders who will challenge leaders constructively and stand firmly with workers and struggling families rather than aligning too comfortably with political power.
Ka chineke mezie okwu.
Yours Spiritually,
Mazi Eric Ikwuagwu.