- Katsina Catholic Bishop urges FG to adopt compassionate tax policies
- Christmas message calls for support for farmers and small businesses
- Illegal mining and oil theft named as revenue leaks government must block
- Early political campaigns condemned amid growing hardship
The Bishop of the Katsina Catholic Diocese, Most Reverend Gerald Mamman Musa, has cautioned the Federal Government against tax policies that worsen the suffering of ordinary Nigerians, warning that taxation should not become a punishment for the poor. Speaking in his 2025 Christmas message, the cleric urged the government to focus on compassion, fairness, and targeted economic support for vulnerable citizens.
Delivering his Christmas message titled “Let Peace Be Born Again in Nigeria”, Bishop Musa called on the Federal Government to provide direct support for farmers, rural workers, and small business owners, describing them as the backbone of the Nigerian economy.
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He urged authorities to strengthen micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) through grants and soft loans, especially as many continue to battle inflation, insecurity, and the lingering effects of fuel subsidy removal.
“Taxation must not become a punishment for being poor,” the Bishop said.
“A government that ignores the weak contradicts the very spirit of Christmas.”
The cleric warned against imposing taxes without addressing deeper revenue losses, calling on the government to first recover funds lost to illegal mining, oil theft, reckless borrowing, and wasteful spending.
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According to him, citizens are struggling while public resources are being quietly diverted into political activities.
“Public funds are being redirected into political machinery while communities cry out for food, security, and jobs,” he lamented.
Shifting to national leadership, Bishop Musa cautioned politicians against early campaigns ahead of the 2027 elections, stressing that leadership is a sacred trust, not a game of manipulation.
He also condemned rising insecurity, describing kidnapping, banditry, and organised violence as profitable crimes that destroy lives and communities.
“No one profits from blood without inviting judgment,” he warned, quoting Isaiah 48:22: “There is no peace for the wicked.”
The Bishop further raised concerns over foreign miners, accusing some of exploiting Nigeria’s mineral resources while fueling conflict and displacement.
“Nigeria must protect its people before protecting its minerals,” he said, urging authorities to defend national interests and future generations.
