08/02/2025
There's everything wrong with government at any level sponsoring religious activities in all forms. Government should not have anything to do with religion. The Ebonyi State Government of Nwifuru has once again got it fatally wrong. Giving N551 million to the Muslim community in the state for the 2025 Hajj pilgrimage in the face of insecurity, hunger and poverty is a clueless action. It's also clueless to sponsor Christian pilgrimages, reason the law enabling this act of wastefulness should be repealed and done away with. Pilgrimage is a religious tourism and as such, should be at the exclusive expense of each pilgrim wanting to embark on it since it adds no value to governance, economy and moral rectitude as the many that have gone there so far haven't shown remarkable moral compass worthy of reverence.
The Ebonyi State Government giving each of the Hajj pilgrims N8 million and ordering LGA chairmen to sponsor at least one person in their respective council area to the Hajj is a direct spitting on the faces of Ebonyi people on many fronts. Innocent people lost their lives, buildings and property in Nkalaha to the two different attacks carried out on the community by unknown persons, the government hasn't yet announced any palliative measure to cushion the pains these attacks have brought upon the families of the victims. Teachers in six LGAs of the state haven't been paid their salaries since November, 2024. They've embarked on a strike action in protest of this malevolent gesture. I'm sure that N551 million could offset the now piled up salaries at least in three of the council areas as a rescue measure. Many Ebonyi children & parents are everywhere outside the state undertaking menial jobs to be able to feed. Imagine how nice it'd be investing this sum under reference in salvaging the situation in one senatorial zone of the state.
This particular Ebonyi State Government keeps making itself vulnerable to vituperation and criticism by undertaking clueless projects and despondent policies always. Each of the pilgrims receiving N8 million is already well-placed in the society economically, meaning that the money is going into the hands of people that are not a priority. I'm not angry because the money is meant for Muslims, no! Both Christians and Muslims should not be sponsored to pilgrimage. It should be a personal decision whether or not to go. So, Ebonyi State Government should learn to put money into priority projects that can birth landmark results in the nearest tomorrow.
NCN.
