LETTER FOR WORKERS’ DAY 2023 CELEBRATION
(1st May – Memorial of St. Joseph the Worker)
Dear brothers and sisters, a year and 5 months ago, we completed the year of St. Joseph the Worker. We now see signs of growth in proper understanding of the dignity of labour. Pope Francis in his Encyclical, Fratelli Tutti, reminds us of the ethical foundations for our economies and societies as it concerns labour. The beautiful account of creation in Genesis 1 demonstrates God’s work and artistry. It reveals God’s generosity: God gives humanity dominion over all He has made. By giving us fertility and the command to multiply, God invites us to work as co-creators.
It is important after the general election to reflect on the present ills of our economy, but also to espouse the value of human dignity as the bedrocks of Catholic social teaching with responses to human need, both locally and globally.
Nigerian Bureau of Statistics evaluated the national unemployment rate at 33.3% and that it is projected to be 41.6% before the end of the year 2023. This is coupled with the 4 to 5 million graduates that are thrown into the labour market every year. We must curb this ugly trend.
We emphasized the importance of making our youth to be more employable by looking at our educational curriculum for effective designs. We must prioritize organized labour and continued protection of workers’ rights. We also call for the legislation that addresses the ecological crisis that impacts all workers amidst the announcement of the removal of subsidy with its attendant difficulties. It is not right to ignore the poor and not allow their pleas to touch our hearts. Government at all levels must build a better kind of politics by entering into dialogue with the people, calling them to an authentic politics that is rooted in the dignity of the human person and promotes the common good.
We should also consider the plight of those whose back-breaking labour brings food to our tables, those whose work in the vast field of health care, farmers, fishermen, petty traders, and those who hawk on our streets who appear to quench our thirst even in traffic situations. Some families have lost their breadwinner and are now more financially vulnerable. The Government must be creative at this point.
On this Labour Day, I express my gratitude to the many workers who have kept our country functioning during these trying times and worked under difficult and often unappreciated conditions. Catholic parishes and ministries have been working to better the failing economies around the world. I pray for all the workers in our parishes and institutions across the Diocese of Ijebu-Ode; about one thousand (1000) of them including the Catechists, Lay leaders, Teachers, Accountants, Nurses, Doctors, Cooks, Laboratory Technicians, House parents, and Administrators, etc. May God continue to bless your work with fruitfulness.
Today also, we remember to pray for those who are looking for work, those seeking dignified way of earning income. May God provide for them and you all.
May St. Joseph the worker intercede for us. Holy Mary Mother of God, Pray for us
Happy Workers Day! Welcome to the month of May!!
+ Francis Obafemi ADESINA
Bishop of Ijebu-Ode
