By Daniel Tyokua
The Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria ,CSN, has urged government to support in the area of healthcare facilities, even as the Secretariat decried government’s failure to utilize the 425 hospitals and clinics offered it by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) for use as isolation centres in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic.
CSN’s Director, Church and Society, Rev. Fr. Uchechukwu Obodoechina disclosed this when the Church celebrated the World Day of the Sick, noting that the government in its ineptitude never recognized the great sacrifice made by the Church and never showed any gratitude in that regard.
Obodoechina stated that, “during the intense period of the Covid-19, the Church in Nigeria, through the Bishops’ Conference donated to the government of this country the 425 health facilities to use in order to reach the grassroots.
“The government in its ineptitude never appreciated this great sacrifice made by the Church, never used one, never showed any gratitude in that regard, yet the Church continued in her little way to show solace and assistance to the poor at her disposal in the rural areas and wherever they find themselves”.
The cleric, however, noted that the Church is doing elaborately well in the various facilities, in the various local churches and therefore urged government to give subvention to the Church.
“What we have been doing are not enough. The Church hasn’t the resources at her disposal to give a hundred percent healthcare services for everyone is rural areas because she has not that type of resources.
“The government of the country should have been able to give subvention to Church facilities, equip them to give a hundred percent health care services for everyone in rural areas because at the end of the day, the services are to Nigerian citizens”.
“The government is dysfunctional systems and cannot think of assisting the Church with grants, but there are very good examples like the former governor of Anambra State, Dr. Peter Obi, who found the Church, credible institution, to equip the Church, to equip the hospitals and then hospitals in Anambra and the schools in Anambra belonging to the Church where tiptop and today it is evidences that if government partners the Church in such areas that the result will be very abundant.
The World Day of the Sick was instituted by St. Pope John Paul II in 1992 to draw attention to the reality of pain and sickness in our lives and to know that sickness and pains are parts and parcel of human life.
At the virtual conference participated by nearly 200 persons, to mark the World Day of the Sick in Nigeria, the Catholic Bishop of Yola Diocese and Chairman, Health Committee of the CBCN, Most Rev. Stephen Mamza read the Pope’s message where the Holy Pontiff has called on the world to remember those who continue to suffer the effects of the Coronavirus pandemic.
In his message, the Pope expressed his spiritual closeness and reassured all the poor and marginalized of the Church’s loving concern for them.
