By Chidi Nkwopara

OWERRI —The Catholic Archbishop of Owerri Ecclesiastical Province, Most Rev. Dr. Anthony Obinna, has expressed worry  that a large percentage of Nigerians are still wallowing in abject poverty in the midst of plenty.

Dr. Obinna, who made the observation in his sermon at Pontifical sung mass at Maria Assumpta Cathedral, Owerri, to mark the nation’s 49th independence anniversary, said “this is a country filled with abundant human and material resources but at 49, a lot of us are still wallowing in abject poverty and disease.

At 49, bribery, corruption, armed robbery, kidnapping and other serious crimes are still on the increase”, he said.

He lamented that some people in positions of authority are feeding fat from the gross inadequacies of the nation’s policies and programmes, adding that there are some people who are happy over the long strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities.

Obinna warned that “the nation’s youngsters are increasingly getting angry, frustrated, despondent and aggressive”, adding that “we need to stop this madness and hatred among us”.