Nigerian politicians have been asked not to disappoint Nigerians, but to listen to them, as well as make good their promise of delivering good governance and addressing the needs of the people. The charge was given by Rev. Fr. Mike Umoh, Director of Social Communications, Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, during the 56th World Communications Day celebration, held at the St. Gabriel Chaplaincy, Durumi, Abuja. Stating that listening as human action was dispensable to democracy and that the reality was obvious Fr, Umoh expressed dismay with what was going on with the nation’s political parties’ primaries. He said: “The signs we have seen with the primaries simply still point to the fact that our politicians are not listening to the people, they keep drumming to themselves and dancing to the tune of their drums, not to the people.
“The signs of the primaries are very disheartening and worrisome. We just hope and pray that even if politicians refuse to listen to the people, the people should try to listen to themselves and do the right thing. Because no politician will succeed without using the same people they oppress. Saying that the oppressors will not relinquish power to the oppressed, he urged the people to realize themselves, their needs and wants, and work to wrestle power from the oppressor. He noted that things are presently the way they are in Nigeria, where the bulk of citizens are suffering because the people were still allow politicians to play bread and butter of N1000 politics with them. Speaking on what was happening among delegates, where money exchanged hands, he said the people are not choosing leaders that will help them, but those that will give them money, mortgaging the future and already terrible situation of the nation.
“It is worrisome; it calls for more prayers and more conscious effort by the populists and by the people to wrestle power and fight against this continuous oppression by the politicians in our nation who do not mean well for the people”, he said. Also speaking on the occasion, Rev. Fr. Zacharia Samjumi, Secretary-General, Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, noted that what bound humanity together is communication, as they (humans) communicate with one another. He urged humans to pay attention when they dialogue with one another, adding that they it is important that people communicate well with each other. “It is important that we pay attention to how we dialogue with one another and see that we are able to make meaning, living together. So, it is important that we continue to communicate well with each other so that others can learn from us and communicate well too with one another”, he said. The event which was attended by media practitioners in the FCT also saw their working tools blessed by Most Rev. David Ajang, Bishop of Lafia Diocese and CBCN Chairman on Social Communications.
