• Berates President over rising tax burden

By CHARLES IWUOHA

The Spiritual Director of Adoration Ministry Enugu Nigeria (AMEN), Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka, has strongly criticised President Bola Tinubu over the rising tax burden on Nigerians, warning that political defections into the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) will not guarantee electoral continuity if the suffering of the masses persists.

In a sermon delivered at the Adoration ground in Enugu on Sunday, Fr. Mbaka said widespread hardship and aggressive taxation could erode public support for the government, insisting that only God and the will of the people ultimately guarantee leadership continuity.

“Mr. President, people may not be courageous enough to tell you this, but I am telling you that even if everybody is in APC, that does not guarantee your continuity,” Mbaka said. “What guarantees your continuity is the Lord. And as they say, the voice of the people is the voice of God.”

The outspoken cleric acknowledged that taxation itself is not wrong but argued that the timing and intensity of current tax policies amount to injustice against already burdened citizens.

“There is nothing wrong with people paying taxes, but at a time like this, this kind of tax imposition is like wickedness meted out to the people. It is like a tyrannical imposition,” he said.

Fr. Mbaka questioned what value citizens were receiving in return for the taxes demanded, pointing to unemployment, declining purchasing power and inadequate access to basic services.

“Those who are going to pay taxes, what are they doing? What has the government provided for them? How many of them have been given jobs?” he asked. “The little they earn through hard labour is what they are being asked to pay tax from.”

He lamented the worsening living conditions of ordinary Nigerians, noting that access to quality healthcare and education remains largely reserved for the wealthy, while the poor struggle to meet basic needs.

“Things are too hard. Things are unbearable. The poor masses are dying. We cannot boast of quality hospitals or quality education for the poor masses,” Mbaka said. “Eating three meals a day has become a big problem. From where are these people expected to pay taxes?”

The priest warned that continued hardship could provoke social unrest, linking unemployment and poverty to rising insecurity across the country.

“Millions of our youths have no jobs. That is why kidnapping, banditry and other atrocities are increasing,” he said, adding that “a hungry man is an angry man.”

Calling on the President to urgently review current policies, Mbaka urged the government to focus on cushioning the effects of economic reforms on the poor, who he said constitute the majority of the population.

“By now, the government should be planning how to cushion the effects of these problems on the lives of the poor masses. They are not happy,” he said.

He also criticised what he described as leadership disconnected from the pain of the people, urging compassion and empathy at the highest levels of power.

“I pray that our leaders develop human hearts—be compassionate, sympathetic and empathetic,” Mbaka said. “No leader will be there forever. Listen to the cries of the people.”

Fr. Mbaka maintained that his message was not politically motivated but driven by concern for ordinary Nigerians across religious and social lines.

“I am not a senator, not a governor. I am just a prophet of God expressing the pain of my people—Christians and Muslims alike,” he said. “When the people cry, God feels their pain.”

He concluded by urging Nigerians not to lose faith despite the hardship, while calling on leaders to leave behind a legacy of love rather than what he described as “rulership instead of leadership.”

“This draconian approach is punishable from heaven,” Mbaka warned. “There are many other ways government can raise money,” he said.

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