The priest in charge of St Cyril Catholic Church Kado-kuchi, Abuja, Rev. Fr Emmanuel Unamba, has lamented the stampede in Anambra, Ibadan and Abuja, which caused the death of over 60 Nigerians trying to get food items from charity organizations, praying for his charity not bring sorrow to him.
While delivering his homily on Christmas day, Father Unamba said the persons involved in the stampedes were charitable individuals who have sacrificed to see that the less privileged have something to eat during Christmas, “which ordinarily is the primary role of the government not for individuals or groups.”
He said: “We celebrate Christmas every year, yet it is always fresh and we keep longing for it as if we have not had it before. This is because it brings a new message every year. This year, in the light of our current situation of stampedes at Christmas food sharing, may we reflect on the sacrificial nature of love.
“Jesus Christ was living in the majesty of the Godhead until he took up the challenge to become a special envoy of God to humanity. He was to be accorded all respect that was due to God. But what did he get? Rejection! The gospel reading today captures it so well. “He came to his own home and his people received him not.” (Jn. 1:11) This reminds us of the parable of the wicked tenants in the gospel of Matthew 21:33-46. As our second reading from the letter to the Hebrews (1:1-6) said, God has been using different means and persons to communicate to humanity. But finally, he sent his son. In the Parable of the tenants, when the owner of the vineyard finally decided to send his son, he said, “They will respect my son.” But did they respect him? No! They maltreated him, took him outside of the city and killed him.
“The story of the birth of Jesus would also help us to understand this paradox. The saviour and redeemer of the world could not even get a room at the inn where he could be born. What a tragedy! When he grew up and started his ministry and visited his own countryside, they rejected him thus prompting the saying: “A prophet is without honour among his own people.” (Mark 6:4)
“Jesus eventually went to the cross and was given a treatment that is not given to citizens but criminals. His people even chose the release of a notorious criminal Barabbas than the innocent Jesus (cf. Matthew 27:15-26). Despite all these maltreatments, he prayed as he hung on the cross, “Father forgive them for they know not what they are doing.”(Luke 23:34) All these show us that even in your attempt to be kind and charitable, you can still be maltreated, sadly, by the same people who you are trying to help.
“This calls to mind the lament of the Psalmist that, If this were done by an enemy, I would have borne in. But it is you my friend. (Ps. 55:12-14)
“On Wednesday 18th December 2024, a good spirited individual by name Ms. Silekunola Moronke Naomi organised a Christmas funfair for children at Bashorun Islamic High School, Ibadan. Our first reading today (Isaiah 52:7) says, “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good tidings…” This event was a good tiding to the many impoverished parents living in Ibadan and its environs. So, they trooped out in their numbers. But unfortunately, this event was met with tragedy. There was stampede that claimed over 35 lives because there were more people than expected.
“This is because of the irresponsibility of a government that has thrown her citizens into hunger without any apology or regret of her policies. We were still trying to contend with that when on Saturday 21st December 2024, another 22 and 10 persons lost their lives in a similar stampede at a Christmas sharing in Okija, Anambra state and in in our own Holy Trinity Catholic Church Maitama, respectively. May their souls rest in peace.
“The persons involved in these events were charitable individuals who have sacrificed to see that the less privileged have something to eat this Christmas. Ordinarily, this is the primary role of the government not for individuals or groups.
“This is why it is called charity when non-governmental body perform them. But on the side of government it is a responsibility because while individuals and groups are doing it with their hard-earned money, government does it with our collective wealth which is under their custody. It is just like a priest who is building up the parish with the money that parishioners contributed. He cannot call that charity.
“These incidents mentioned above are related to the Christmas event not just because they were done in the spirit of Christmas but because of a painful aspect of the Christmas story. A person’s goodwill or charity can sometimes bring sorrow to him/her. Jesus was persecuted and eventually killed by the same people he came to save.
“The government of Nigeria has failed in her responsibility towards her citizen in terms of alleviating hunger in the land.
“This led to a nationwide hunger protest in the first week of August 2024. Individuals and groups are stepping in to help the government in alleviating poverty by many charitable initiatives. This very government that should be grateful to these individuals and groups, has turned around to persecute the very people who came to help them to provide welfare for her citizens.
“What am I saying? Since these incidents of stampede, the government of Nigeria has arrested and persecuted the charitable individuals and groups who out of good will wanted to help the poor.
“They are blaming them for the death of those who died. Our Archbishop, His Grace, Most Rev. Dr. Ignatius Kaigama told us two days ago how the parish priest of Holy Trinity Maitama and the members of St. Vincent de Paul society there have suffered since Saturday. It was only a few days ago that some of them were released on bail. We heard yesterday in the news that the organisers of the Ibadan event were remanded in custody, still undergoing trial for the children that died.
“This is to say the least a very shameful act. The government that supposed to be apologising that her citizens are dying in stampede where they are struggling to get cups of rice to quench their hunger, is the one turning around to blame individuals that are trying to help them cover their shame. This is purely a misplaced zeal. I wish this zeal was put into solving the problem of hunger in our nation. ”
He added: “The Psalmist would say: “In his riches man lacks wisdom.” (Ps. 49:12)
How would you blame a man who has suffered to get resources to share for a few persons, for the death of those who came struggling for it? That very man even need your sympathy for the losses he incurred and the trauma of seeing people die before his very eye.
“Some of the Members of St Vincent de Paul involved in this food sharing escaped death by fractions of a second. Instead of blaming the person that is causing the hunger you are persecuting the person that is trying to solve it. St Vincent de Paul have been doing this charity for ages and there has been no incident of stampede.
“We are having the incident now because the government that met fuel ₦121 has made it sell at about ₦1,200. The government that met the exchange rate at ₦450 per dollar has made it ₦1,700 and still rising. The government that met a loaf of bread at ₦350 has made it sale now at ₦2,000. The government that met a bag of rice at ₦8,000 has now put it at ₦100,000 far above the minimum wage which some agencies of the same government is not yet paying.
“The government that met pure water at ₦5 has made it sale at ₦50. All these are to mention but a few. The activities of those in government has made survival in Nigeria a struggle; no wonder someone can afford to risk his/her life in order to get a limited food material because it is free.
“The government is blaming us for not involving them especially the police. We should involve you in solving the problem that you created and has no regret for it? Deep within me, I know that the police is angry they were not invited not because they were eager to do their job but because they lost out in the sharing.
“Even in my little Kado-Kuchi here, I know what it costs us to involve the police in what we are doing. And may no one misunderstand us that we were considering money more than human lives. Not at all. How will St Vincent de Paul in Maitama know that a sharing they are organising for, let’s say 1,000 people would be attended by 10,000?
“Besides, it is not the size of the crowd that is the issue here but the hunger in the person which has been created by the government. Have we not been having much larger crowds in our events before and everything goes peacefully?
“The time has come when we should call a spade by its name. The Citizens Advocacy for Social and Economic Rights (CASER) has issued a statement calling for the immediate release of all those who are detained in connection to this incident. They are also asking the government to take full responsibility of the death of her citizens, pay compensations to the families involved and stop blaming and persecuting well spirited individual who were on a clear mission of saving lives.
“It is the government that should be prosecuted and not the persons of good will. Our Archbishop has joined his voice to this and we are indeed saddened. I wish the government could realise that their action is a slippery path that may end where they would not want.
“But back to the message of the Christmas, we encourage our brothers and sisters who were involved in this, especially the Parish Priest of Holy Trinity Maitama, Fr Moses Jimbili and the members of St Vincent de Paul, to take heart.
“Jesus said in John 15:20 “If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.” May the ill treatment we encounter on the path of love not make us to stop loving. Jesus Christ our Lord did not stop. The ill treatment he met at his birth did not make him change his mind about the cross. In the gospel of John (9:4) he said, “I must continue to do the work of he who sent me while it is day; for the night is coming when no man can work again.”
“Some of you have witness the incident of a boy or girl you brought from the village to assist, turning around to even kill your child or steal your fortune and run away. This message of Christmas is urging you to take heart. The Jews did that to Jesus. You may have lent money to someone who was in desperate need and hoping to get the money back to travel for Christmas and now the person is in the village enjoying and you are stranded here in Abuja.
“Jesus is telling you to take heart; that they did it also to him. You may have offered food to someone in good heart just as we do this Christmas and something else happens and the person dies. You could be dragged around for poisoning the person but deep within you, you know that you did not.
“You may have taken in a stranger or sick person and in the process of trying to help, the person dies. The police would come to arrest and torture you for the death of the person. Jesus is telling you by the Christmas event that you are not alone. You did that just because you wanted to be the Good Samaritan which he asked you to be (cf. Luke 10:25-37).
“You may have helped a friend or relative to secure a job in your place of work and he turns around to speak calumny against you just to secure favour. This may even lead to your dismissal. Be consoled because you have become a proper Christian in the footsteps of Christ.
“The Igbo people bear such name as “Ogomegbulam” (may my kindness not kill me). May our charity not bring us sorrow but blessings. But even if it does, Jesus says to you: “Blessed are you when people abuse you and persecute you and say all kinds of calumny against you falsely on my account, rejoice and be glad for your reward will be great in heaven. That is how they persecuted the prophets before you.” (Mat. 5:11-12)
I wish you all a very happy Christmas!”