• ‘INEC should deploy its technology transparently’
• ‘Government has not lived up to its security duties’
• ‘ASUU strike unacceptable’
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) has called on all Catholics registered voters in Nigeria to come out en masse and vote for credible leaders in the 2023 general elections. The call was contained in a communiqué jointly issued by the President and Secretary of CBCN, Most Rev. Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji, Archbishop of Owerri and President, CBCN; and Most Rev. Donatus Aihmiosion Ogun, OSA, Bishop of Uromi; at the end of the Second 2022 Plenary Meeting of the CBCN held at the Sacred Heart Pastoral/Retreat Centre, Orlu, Imo State, from September 8 to 16. Entitled, “The threshold of a new dawn in Nigeria,” the Catholic Bishops’ Conference urged all citizens to be stakeholders in the political matters of the country as they also condemned vote buying and selling. The communiqué read in part, “Politics is a noble vocation.
We, therefore, encourage all politicians to uphold the values of integrity and decency. We strongly condemn as unlawful and sinful all forms of vote selling and buying and advise all politicians and voters to refrain from doing so. “While it is not our responsibility as religious leaders to dictate to political parties the choices of their presidential, vice presidential and other candidates, we have the duty to advise the citizenry to bear in mind the implications of these choices while electing the next set of leaders. “We, therefore, renew our call on all our faithful, laity and clergy alike, to come out en masse to vote for people of unassailable integrity, who have the good character, capacity and track record to lead our nation out of the present socio-political and economic doldrums, irrespective of party, religious and ethnic affiliations.
It is through the right political choices that our current situation can be ameliorated.” CBCN commended the National Assembly and the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for enacting and signing into law the Electoral Bill 2022. They acknowledged the President’s commitment to ensuring a level playing field for all candidates in the elections as well as lauded the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for its innovations, especially in the area of technology, to ensure free, fair and credible elections. The Bishops, however, enjoined the Commission to ensure that this technology is transparently deployed, in order to increase the confidence of the people in the electoral process.
A call for civic education
Stressing on the need for political education, the CBCN to enable all citizens, in general and young people, in particular, to effectively play their part in political affairs, the Bishops charged all citizens and institutions to work towards responsible political behaviour and informed choices. They further stated, “In consonance with the principles of the Social Teaching of the Church, our people should be made aware of the duty to be both good leaders and followers. “All citizens need to know, right from childhood, that they are stakeholders in the political affairs of their country; that they are actors and not mere spectators. Only when the people are enlightened to take cognisance of their duties to the nation and their rights in it can they escape the servitude of political manipulation and ignorance in their electoral habits.”
The Church, politics and the common good
CBCN stated that according to the Church’s teachings politics is for the common good, and “As such, political authority has to be exercised within the limits of the moral order and directed towards the common good.” Noting that the “Church does not identify with nor is she to bound to any political party’, the CBCN emphasised that “Nevertheless, the Church is not indifferent or neutral to the formation and activities of the political community (cf. John XXIII, Mother and Teacher, 180). “We urge our Catholic Lay Faithful, especially those with talents for the difficult yet noble art of politics or whose talents in this matter can be developed, to prepare themselves for it and, forgetting their convenience and material interests, to engage in political activity in pursuance of the common good and the establishment of the moral order (cf. Vatican II, The Church in the Modern World, 73).
“In other words, they are to accept as their divine vocation the task of sanctifying the world like leaven from within (cf. Vatican II, Apostolate of the Laity, 2 and 7; John Paul II, Lay Members of Christ’s Faithful, 16). CBCN added, “While working to promote political activities and good governance that guarantee the dignity of the human person, justice and equity in society, priests have the duty to guide the Lay Faithful. In doing this, without prejudice to their rights to exercise their franchise, priests are not to use the pulpit to promote any particular political party or its candidates.”
Continued and heightened Insecurity;
The Catholic Bishops for the umpteenth time raised concern over upsurge in violent attacks, kidnapping, armed robbery and general insecurity in several parts of the country, which in recent times have become the order of the day. The Communiqué read in part, “We will continue to decry the worsening state of insecurity in our nation as well as activities of terrorists and insurgents, kidnappers and bandits. Armed robbery and cybercrimes have continued unabated. Attacks on travellers and worshippers in Churches and other places of worship have become too frequent.
“An instance is the recent mass shooting and bombing attacks on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State, on Pentecost Sunday, June 5, 2022, in which 41 worshippers were killed and 70 grievously injured. All these have led to an incessant loss of lives and destruction of property of innocent people. “We express our heartfelt condolences to all the bereaved and pray for the eternal repose of the deceased.” Non prosecution of the culprits “Regrettably, the government has not lived up to its duties with regard to security. We observe that even when suspects have been arrested, there is not even diligent prosecution of the culprits of these nefarious acts, thereby leaving the citizenry helpless and despairing. While we continue to call on civil authorities to stand up to their constitutional responsibility of safeguarding the lives and property of Nigerians, we enjoin all to strengthen security measures in their homes and institutions. We call on all citizens to be law-abiding, vigilant, and to shun all forms of violence and criminality,” the Bishops stated.
Nigeria’s Poor Economy
The high-ranking clerics lamented the poor state of the economy bedeviling Nigeria urging government to formulate policies that would facilitate an enabling environment for creation of more jobs. They said, “Owing to mismanagement and a failing economy with an ever increasing debt burden, there are poverty and hunger in our land, in spite of our huge human and natural resources. Spiraling inflation, high costs of goods and services, soaring unemployment, crude oil theft and non-functioning refineries have inflicted untold hardship on the citizens.
“Furthermore, governments have resorted to unnecessary borrowing, jeopardising the well-being of the present and future generations. Furthermore, this poor state of our economy has led to the mass migration of our human capital, especially professionals and skilled labourers, fleeing the nation in search of greener pastures.”
The prelates proposed a solution:
“In light of the above, we urge governments to make adequate policies and provide the enabling environment for the creation of more jobs by both the government and the private sector. This would surely reduce the level of poverty, insecurity and unrest in our land.
ASUU Strike and education
The Catholic Bishops described as unacceptable the protracted strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) since 14 February 2022, charging the Federal Government to resolve the issues quickly. The communiqué read in part, “ASUU has cited the non-implementation of agreements by the Federal Government as the cause.
We know that efforts have been made to resolve the matter. However, we believe that a resort to courts may not be the best and fastest way to solve the problem. Therefore, we renew our call on the Federal Government and ASUU to find a quicker and better way of resolving the matters under contention so that public universities will re-open.”
