The Catholic Bishop of Lafia Diocese, David Ajang, has said ethno-political agitations in the country would end once the country fixes the problem of leadership.

He argued that the plan by Northern politicians to wrest power from President Bola Tinubu was borne out of the feeling that the North was not being served and the feeling of threat, especially by those who enjoy political patronage because “the region is not in power”.

This was as the Catholic Archbishop of Lagos Metropolitan See, Alfred Martins, charged governments at all levels to level up their game to combat the insecurity and economic hardship facing the country.

They spoke differently yesterday at events to mark World Communication Day 2025 in Abuja and Lagos. Fielding questions from journalists after the Mass organised by the Department of Social Communications of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria in Abuja, Ajang observed that the disunity in the country was driven by a feeling of marginalisation.

He said: “Nobody can deny that Nigeria is divided today. Carry out a study, listen to the news; when you listen to a perspective, you can guess where the person comes from. When a certain region is in power, the thinking of most people is that it is the turn of the region to enjoy the goodies of the country, and then those who are not from that region will feel sidelined.”

MARTINS, on his part, gave the charge at the event, which coincided with his 66th birthday anniversary at the Holy Cross Cathedral, Lagos.Briefing the media after the Mass, Martins said the level of despair, lack of hope for the future, “is very strong in the country”, adding that the situation was forcing some young people to seek greener pastures outside the country, while some take to crime.

He said: “If we want to keep the country together, our government needs to do more than just the promises.

“We are constantly being told that things are getting better. But many people are not feeling that betterment. So, we hope and plead that they do something more than is being done at this point in time. But our people should also keep on asking their leaders and hold them accountable for the things that they have promised to do. If we do not hold them accountable, naturally, they believe that everything is well.”