TRUTH TO POWER: Catholic Priest Counters Mbah’s Aide, Says Enugu Residents Groan Under Heavy Taxes, Rising Costs

A Catholic priest, Rev. Fr. Matthias Udonu, has countered claims by Mazi Uche Anichukwu, Special Assistant on Media to Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah, on taxation and the state of the economy, insisting that residents are experiencing severe hardship despite government revenue growth.

Anichukwu had responded to social media Critics who accused the state government of over taxation while the citizens are improvised. Anichukwu reeled out great improvement the state has made under Governor Peter Mbah's three years in office.

But Fr. Udonu, in his reply to Anichukwu, said the realities confronting landlords, tenants, traders, artisans and other residents were at variance with what he described as “beautiful pictures” being painted about taxation and development in the state.

He cited the case of a landlord who, according to him, had maintained an annual rent of N1.5 million for a duplex until the property was recently billed N2.5 million as annual tax by the state government.

The priest alleged that the landlord subsequently increased the rent to N4 million to accommodate the tax burden while retaining his previous N1.5 million return.

Udonu also narrated his experience at Ogbete Main Market, where he said he accompanied a parishioner and observed the difficulties confronting traders and service providers.

According to him, a barrow pusher charged N500 for transporting goods from the market, explaining that N100 was deducted as tax for every trip out of the market.

He said he later discovered that the barrow pusher was a graduate of Enugu State University of Science and Technology who had resorted to menial work after spending years searching unsuccessfully for employment.

Udonu said the experience convinced him that the economic reality of many residents was far removed from official narratives about the state.

The priest also questioned the affordability of government-backed technical and vocational education, asking how many poor and average families could afford the reported cost of enrolling and maintaining a child in the TVET programme.

He further challenged Anichukwu to explain how Enugu's reported revenue growth was translating into improved living standards for ordinary residents.

“Did you watch my earlier videos on violence in some gatherings of some members of some opposition parties in Enugu State?” he asked, while also raising concerns about political freedom, media space and the visibility of opposition parties in the state.

Udonu questioned why, according to him, images of Governor Mbah and other APC aspirants were prominent across Enugu while opposition figures appeared less visible. He also asked whether the situation could be interpreted as evidence that Enugu remained politically free and safe.

The priest equally raised questions over the government's revenue drive and its impact on residents, asking whether the increased revenue was improving the quality of life of ordinary people in urban and rural communities.

“How does this Enugu record of fastest revenue growth affect the average or poor person in Enugu. Do the average or poor person in Enugu make more income or less now? What is the present cost of living in Enugu like? Has anything meaningful to the life of the average person changed for good in Enugu on account of this revenue growth?”

Udonu also spoke about his late father's unpaid pension and gratuity, saying his father, who retired as a headmaster in 2003, died after years of waiting for his entitlements. He said he had personally spent considerable resources processing documents and attending verifications in an effort to secure the payment, but that the efforts had remained unsuccessful.

The priest stressed that his assessment was based on his direct interaction with people across different economic classes in Enugu State.

“I am a Catholic priest ordained in Enugu more than twenty-four years ago. I live in Enugu State and work in Enugu State. Members of my flock are the rich, the average and the very poor. Most of them belong to the last group. I relate with them personally as a shepherd, I touch them and smell them very well.”

Udonu urged public officials and government supporters to pay greater attention to the difficulties faced by ordinary citizens rather than simply defending government policies.

“Salus animarum suprema lex,” he stated, meaning that the salvation or welfare of souls is the supreme law.