By Chinelo Ogbodo (Enugu State Correspondent)
As Nigeria's current economic hardship bites harder on the citizens everyday with no solution apparently in sight, leader of the Knight of Saint John International (KSJI) in Nigeria and Supreme Subordinate President, Maj Gen. (Prof) Remmy Uche (Prof), has lamented the situation, once again, urging the political leadership of the community to take a decisive action to arrest the situation before it is too late.n
General Uche spoke up recently when Christians all over the world marked August 29, a day set aside as the feast of the Passion of St. John the Baptist, which is the commemoration of his beheading by King Herod for speaking up to the truth.
The Knights of St. John International (KSJI) of the Roman Catholic Church leader who took a harsh swipe against the obnoxious and draconian leaderships in all spheres of life in Nigeria, said the level of economic crunch currently prevailing in the country is unprecedented and completely unacceptable.
Professor Uche stated that Nigerians, male or female, holding leadership positions at different stratas of the power and in various places and organisations have turned themselves tyrannically against the people they are supposedly leading. He said they have become "so intolerant, draconian, impervious and insensitive to the plight of the people, and justifying the bad leadership examples they are exhibing demonstrating.
The Knights of St. John International (KSJI), is a solidarity organisation of men and women looked up to in the Roman Catholic Church as people of integrity.
The KSJI leader, in a recent statement by his Chief of Staff, Sir Abuchi Anueyiagu, noted with tremendous dismay how public, religious, traditional and organizational offices have been trivialised in Nigeria by the leaders at those levels who were supposed to good examples to their followers.
"Nigeria", Prof Remmy Uche declared, "has unfortunately become a place where people who found themselves in positions of power and authority are no longer living according to the principles of providing quality leadership promised to the people, but have rather turned themselves into acting like the Herod's or Herodias of their various and respective places and organisations, including Faith-based organisations."
He urged people in leadership positions and places of power and authority to realise that the people could only be pushed to a certain point before they resist. He enjoined them to always be mindful of the plight of the people and accordingly lead with compassion and commitment to the genuine cause of the places or the organisations that they are leading.
He stated that the Knights of St. John International, as a responsible Christian organisation, implore the leaders to shun such Herodic traits and tendencies of which are very inimical to the wellbeing of the people. He so called on them to always leave a good name for themselves and posterity.
He added that, "It is the belief of the organisation that things would become better generally if people in positions of power and authority would make a change of their obnoxious ways and bad leadership styles and provide good governance or leadership to the people.
"In the bible, King Herod and Herodias were identified as tyrannical, draconian and wicked, which Saint John the Baptist spoke strongly against and was later beheaded for speaking the truth and damning the consequences.
"The KSJI, which derived its name from the evangelist and adopted him as its patron saint, and we join other Catholic faithful all over the world every year to commemorate every August 29 as the feast of the passion of Saints John the Baptist, who stood by the truth and died for the truth, even when people looked the other way", Prof. Uche explained. NNL.
