By Ukamaka Okafor, Abuja.
The Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, CBCN, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to ensure that its conduct of the electoral process is beyond reproach.
The President, CBCN, Archbishop Lucius Ugorji, made the call during the CBCN’s first plenary at Saint Gabriel’s Chaplaincy, Durumi, Abuja, Nigeria.
With the forthcoming General Election drawing closer, the CBCN called on Nigerians to exercise their civic and moral responsibility by voting during elections and to vote wisely.
"We encourage all citizens to go to the polls en masse to exercise their franchise. The forthcoming general election allow us to choose competent leaders, who can turn our economy around. Each voter should endeavour to get enlightened about the background and past records of candidates seeking political offices. No one should vote out of clannish, ethnic or religious considerations or for perceived personal gains. We are bound by conscience to shun financial inducement and to vote only for people of unquestionable integrity with proven records of competence, capacity and commitment", he stated.
Archbishop Ugorji also added that, "the untold and undeserved suffering to which Nigerians have been subjected over the years is a good preparation for them to vote wisely during the forthcoming general election".
The elections, if well conducted, can be a turning point in our political and economic history. We, therefore, urge all to play their roles maturely and creditably during the period of the general election as people perceive a glimmer of light after a very long and dark tunnel" he noted.
To Candidates vying for political offices, the CBCN President advised them to be "decent, respectable, peaceful and honest Nigerians.
In his words, "Rather than engage in mud-slinging, acrimony, arson, buying and selling of votes, threats, intimidation and violence, they should focus on marketing their manifestoes as they campaign for votes.
"Political contests should never be perceived as battlefield encounters or “do or die” affairs.
"Any candidate, who is prepared to shed blood or to spend huge sums of money to buy votes or to comprise the Independent Electoral Commission, INEC, shows that he or she is seeking political office for pure self-aggrandisement.
"It stands to reason that no one, who wishes to render selfless service to the public for the common good, will spend huge sums of money to induce those he intends to serve unselfishly".
"We urge INEC officers to be punctual on election days and ensure that all the sensitive electoral materials are in place in time. They should also ensure that the collation and transmission of the electoral results are done transparently and honestly. We applaud INEC for introducing the Bi-Modal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) in our electoral process. We hope INEC will ensure that the BVAS machines are functional on election days in all the polling units across the country, even in the remotest wards, following the repeated assurances of its Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, in this regard.
Let the fears in some quarters not be confirmed that the BVAS machines might be manipulated or pre-programmed to be functional in some polling units and dysfunctional in others. Any infraction by INEC staff on the use of the BVAS during the general election should be reported to the appropriate quarters", he stressed.
On the State of the Nation especially the security, Socio-political and economic challenges in the country, Archbishop Ugorji noted that insecurity has continued to haunt our nation. In his words, "The Boko Haram militia, Fulani herdsmen, bandits and unknown gunmen, have continued to unleash terror in different parts of the country. Property worth billions of Naira has been razed. Hundreds of lives have been lost in very brutal circumstances and many more have been maimed. Communities have been sacked and their inhabitants displaced on account of the activities of unidentified persons and some government security agents. Kidnapping for ransom is on the increase. Nowhere seems safe: highways, homes and even the sacred precincts of worshipping centres. Some of our Church personnel have been victims of abduction and arson. Our people have continued to live in a gloomy atmosphere of fear and groan with anguished hearts"
He expressed worry over long-persisting fuel scarcity, which made Nigerians spend endless hours in long queues under harsh weather conditions trying to buy fuel at exorbitant prices. In his words, “the collapsing national economy will worsens the ugly situation of insecurity. While the value of the Naira continues to decline, the cost of basic commodities, including food items, continues to soar, with serious effects on the lives and livelihoods of our people”, he said.
He also spoke on the implementation of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s cash swap policy, which resulted in a cash crunch leading to the anger and frustration of the masses. “On account of the hard-biting economic conditions, many of our brothers and sisters are pauperised and go to bed without food. Many of them are resorting to crime and begging to survive. This situation is further compounded by the growing debt burden that is mortgaging our future and the future of generations coming after us. The future of the country looks bleak. The government seems overwhelmed by the situation, despite its claim that it is on top of the matter. However, all hope is not lost" he added.
Also, the Archbishop of Abuja Archdiocese, Ignatius Kaigama, advised politicians and the citizenry to avoid offensive statements uttered to humiliate, and wound their dignity; as the country prepares for free, fair and credible elections. “Offensive statements that look down on others and wound their dignity should be avoided; words of rejection, resentment, hate or revenge. We must avoid the Esau-syndrome, who mortgaged his birthright over a plate of pottage (Gen. 25:29-33). We must also shun the way of Judas Iscariot, who sold his Master for the price of a slave (Mt. 26:15) and make well informed electoral choices; not to be given to selfish sentiments and political manipulations as the crowds, who chose the criminal Barabbas to be released and rather have Jesus crucified (Mt. 27:17-22).
"We pray God to bless us with political leaders of integrity and the fear of God. The next president needs a great measure of God’s grace as he swears an oath on May 29th, 2023, knowing that Nigeria is not poor, but it has poverty of management” he explained.
The President, Christian Association of Nigeria, his Eminence, Daniel Okoh, commended CBCN, on its resolve to address issues that promote good governance in Nigeria. He also called on Nigerian government on fairness in equity distribution
Other issues discussed at the plenary are Citizens’ Participation in Good Governance and promotion of good governance in Nigeria. He noted that such is achieved "when the citizens monitor and evaluate the implementation of government budgets, allocations, programmes and policies and have the courage to call government institutions and representatives to accountability when necessary. Good governance is also fostered when citizens stage peaceful protests against unjust policies, impunity and fraudulent practices in public service. The End-Sars protest of October 2020 against Police brutality was a step in the right direction; it provides a good example of citizens’ participation in good governance in Nigeria. CBCN also spoke on Planting of Trees to Mitigate the Effects of Global Warming and Climate Change." To mitigate the effects of global warming and climate change and to rise to our responsibility of preserving our environment and ecosystem in the spirit of Pope Francis’ Encyclical Letter, Laudato Si, On care for our common home (18 June 2015)".
Also, the Chairman of the Occasion, Professor Julius Adeniyi, tasked Christians on active participation in politics.
Professor Adeniyi called on Nigerian leaders to be making decisions that will affect the lives of citizens positively.
Theme of the 2023 Conference is: "Citizens Participation in good governance in Nigeria"
Other dignitaries at the event are Archbishop Antonio Guido Filipazzi,Apostolic Nuncio to Nigeria, Archbishop Ali Buba Lamido, Anglican Bishop of Wusasa, Zaria, Nigeria's Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen, and His Excellency Femi Kayode amongst others.
CBCN is the umbrella body of Catholic Bishops in Nigeria. Its first plenary meeting for the year would normally take place in the first week of Lent, but has been adjusted on account of the upcoming general election, which have been scheduled to begin on 25 February 2023.
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