As Nigeria grapples with a mounting tide of insecurity, Archbishop of Special Duties of the Methodist Church Nigeria, Most Rev. Dr. Sunday Ndukwo Onuoha, has issued a heartfelt call for honesty, unity, and immediate action to stem the crisis.
Speaking on Sunday during a thanksgiving service for his investiture, Onuoha painted a stark picture of a nation where kidnappings, assaults, and attacks on communities have become distressingly commonplace. “We cannot continue pretending all is well while our young people are being taken and our women are attacked,” he said. “It is time to stand up and say enough.”
Drawing on his experience in public service and faith leadership, the Archbishop emphasized that denial has allowed insecurity to fester. “Peace cannot exist where truth is ignored,” he said. “If someone has the skills to help, they must step forward now, not tomorrow.”
Onuoha urged Nigerians to rise above divisions of religion, ethnicity, and class. “Hunger, sickness, sunshine, and rainfall do not discriminate. We are one family under God,” he noted, stressing that national healing depends on collective responsibility and integrity.
Turning to the nation’s leadership, the Archbishop warned against pride and complacency. “Power is fleeting,” he said. “Those who hold it today may be ordinary citizens tomorrow. Leadership demands humility, accountability, and a willingness to act in the nation’s interest.”
He also highlighted the moral cost of inaction. “Our country is hiding its wounds instead of healing them. Righteousness exalts a nation, but wrongdoing breaks it,” Onuoha said.
With urgency in his voice, the Archbishop called on both citizens and leaders to confront the realities of insecurity with courage and honesty. “We must stop pretending. We must speak the truth. Only then can we begin rebuilding our nation with justice, peace, and unity,” he added.
As Nigeria faces one of its most challenging security periods in recent history, Onuoha’s message resonates not just as a spiritual plea, but as a reminder that truth, courage, and collective action remain central to the country’s survival and progress.