Cleric gifts widows, parishioners food items, clothes

Parish priest of St. Francis Catholic Church, Ekewan road, Benin, the Very Rev. Fr. Andrew Obinyan, has distributed money, clothes and food items to widows and indigent parishioners as part of his customary empowerment programme.

Addressing the mammoth congregation at St. Francis Church ground shortly after the distribution of the welfare packages to mark the Easter celebration, Obinyan said the effort was to ensure that the windows and indigent parishioners live comfortable life.

He called on politicians to intensify effort in providing social welfare programmes that would directly impact on the citizens and guarantee a decent standard of living in the state

Noting with pain the growing and life wrenching poverty, hunger and misery in the land, Rev. Obiyan stated that God hears the cry of the poor

He advised leaders and governments at all levels not to focus only on physical infrastructure, but ensure corresponding investment in poverty reduction and youth empowerment.

He enthused, “Government needs to build and revamp ailing industries in agriculture, textile, health, housing, recreation, waste management and recycling to boost job opportunities.

“Good governance also encompasses policies that favour food security and farmers’ interest. Some politicians and their next generation will live in luxury and remain unruffled by the detestable level of poverty.

“They must not neglect the poor and the jobless, especially the youth. The unfortunate part of the imbroglio is the naive understanding and interpretation of good governance as simply building roads, bridges and paying monthly wages for labour or services rendered by contractors.

“Let the masses feed on your promises, not with a sense of foreboding, but a sense of trust. God hears the cry of the poor.”