By Tony Obiechina, Abuja
Against the backdrop of galloping inflation in the country, the Order of the Knights of St Mulumba (KSM) Nigeria has expressed deep concerns over the situation, lamenting that it has continued to pauperise the average Nigerian.
In a Communique signed by the Supreme Knight, Sir Charles Mbelede at the end of its recently concluded 43rd Annual Supreme Council Convention held in Abuja, the KSM urged the federal government “to evolve imaginative strategies to stem this economic tide”.
Latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) report released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Thursday indicated that Nigeria’s headline inflation for November 2022 rose to 21.47 percent from 21.09 percent recorded in October.
In the communique, the KSM also noted “with dismay the loss of educational development of our children and youths especially at the tertiary institutions in Nigeria and commends the reopening of Nigerian Universities but encourages parties to find sustainable solutions to avoid future derailment of the educational institutions.
“We note the increasing toll that youth unemployment is taking on our nation with trajectory effects on youth restiveness, increasing criminality, drug addiction, cultism, etc. While appreciating the efforts of government in empowering the women and youths, we charge Government to be more creative in the empowerment programmes aimed at creating jobs directly and indirectly through enabling environment for a thriving private sector to enable the gainful employment of the roaming large army of youths.
“KSM reiterates the demand for Government to make concerted efforts towards addressing the poor state of the nation’s health institutions and facilities and urge it to limit the health tourism by government officers. The Convention also charged the Government to urgently address the demands of Health workers and create conducive work environments for them.
“The Order acknowledges the general success rating in the containment of terrorism and banditry but however, deplores the increasing wave of kidnapping and killing of Catholic Priests, the Religious, innocent Nigerians of other persuasions and the deliberate destruction of the Church’s property and implored Government to take immediate steps at forestalling the worrisome trend.
“We condemn unequivocally these killings under whatever guise and urge that the perpetrators of this heinous crime should be immediately brought to justice.
Convention re-affirms its faith in Nigeria and fully commits to praying for our leaders and indeed all Nigerians, and also requested for the continuous recitation of the “Prayer For Nigeria in Distress” by all”.Papal Nuncio to Nigeria, Archbishop Antonio Guddio Filipazzi with the hierarchy of KSM Nigeria, led by the Supreme Knight Sir Charles Mbelede during the just concluded 43rd Annual Convention in Abuja.
