The Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria(CBCN) has tasked Nigerians to ensure that only leaders with high moral profile are elected into positions of responsibly in the country.
The President, Archbishop Lucius Ugorji gave the charge while declaring open the first 2025 CBCN plenary themed: “Jubilee of hope: A light for a new Nigeria” in Abuja.
The Archbishop of Owerri said to create a new Nigeria,citizens must play their role by bringing about necessary change.
…by so doing, we would be able to ensure that only competent, public-spirited and honest people are elected to sit at the helm of affairs in our nation. Election rigging should not force us into voter apathy during general elections. As patriotic citizens, we should always exercise our franchise at general elections and stand by to defend our votes by ensuring that they are counted and that they count.
“In our protracted suffering as a nation, it is belabouring the obvious to stress that we need to come together during general elections to elect competent leaders that are able to design appropriate policies needed to increase economic growth.
Above all, to create a new Nigeria and rekindle the hope of the populace, our nation needs political leaders of high moral profile, who are able to administer public goods in line with the principles of honesty, transparency and accountability.
The catholic bishops who bemoaned the heightened insecurity across the nation, wondered why the federal government has not deployed high technology to complement the efforts of security operatives.
“Insecurity still persists, and is even getting worse across the nation as the ‘armies’ of the boko haram, bandits, unknown gunmen and Fulani herdsmen continue to grow in number, as well as in acts of wickedness and barbarism. Kidnapping for ransom and the mindless killing of innocent people are on the rise, with the targeting of priests and religious across the country. Furthermore, more and more communities are terrorised, traumatised, displaced, impoverished and their ancestral homes taken over by their conquerors.
“Gruesome tales are told of the kidnapping and cruel slaughtering of Nigerians for harvesting of human parts for sale or rituals undertaken by criminal gangs. Enough of this senseless brutality! Enough of this barbarism! This carnage must stop! While we appreciate the efforts of the security operatives, who put their lives on the line to fight the criminals and put an end to their savagery, we wonder why government has not deployed high technology to complement the efforts of security operatives,” the CBCN said.
Earlier in his homily, the archbishop of Abuja diocese, Most Revd. Ignatius Kaigama called on people in places of authority and influence take responsibility by denying themselves stolen wealth.
“We invite our political, military, traditional, judicial, and religious leaders, past and present, to take responsibility by denying themselves ill-gotten wealth. If we wallow in luxury and do very little to ease the pains of the suffering people, we have missed the point. If we pray and fast but continue to hurt others who are vulnerable, our fasting and prayers are meaningless,” he said.
The cleric also called on Nigerians” to be true to our worship of God. Enough of external religiosity, empty religious symbols, erection of monumental places of worship, competition for religious superiority or supremacy, and doing everything to outdo one another by parading religion instead of living out our religious values.
“As we Christians journey towards Easter, let us use this time to pray fervently for our country, to fast from corruption and hatred, and to give generously to those in need. As the Church in Nigeria, we must recommit ourselves to being the light that dispels darkness. We must call for justice, advocate for the poor, and reject all forms of oppression. A new Nigeria is possible if we, as God’s people, take responsibility for building it with integrity and faith,” he said.
Kaigama who regretted the tragic incident in Holy Trinity, Maitama, Abuja, and other places where citizens were crushed to death in their desire to get food during last Christmas, described it as a terrible embarrassment in a country like Nigeria, blessed with immense resources.
On his part, President, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Archbishop Daniel Okoh, said the theme of the plenary,”inspires us to give courageous leadership to efforts geared towards drastically reducing the level of wickedness in the Nigerian society and to rekindle the hope in others for a new nation of abundance and joy.
“As we all know, our country, Nigeria, has been wallowed with hopelessness and despair for a long time. Many of our fellow citizens are at their breaking points while some have given up hope entirely in the midst of extreme conditions of hunger, poverty, insecurity and disease,” he said.
