By Benjamin Jimmy
Catholic Bishops, under the aegis of Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), have decried the spate of corruption and bad governance in Nigeria, believing that these situations are the country’s most fundamental pitfalls inhibiting development and progress.
In a communique’ issued at the end of their Second Plenary Meeting at St. Anne Cathedral, Ikot Ekpene, on Friday, the Bishops observed that the rising incidents of corruption, bad governance and other developmental inhibitions in the country had regrettably destroyed the nation’s fabrics for so long.
The communique’, which was signed by the CBCN President, Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji, Archbishop of Owerri, and Secretary, Donatus Ogun, OSA, Bishop of Uromi, lamented that these menaces had been worsened by politicians’ quest to secure and retain power in 2027.
The Bishops further observed what they described as suppression of opposition voices in the polity, warning that any act to turn Nigeria into a one-party state would portend danger for the country’s democracy.
“The fundamental cause of our problems as a nation is corruption and bad governance. Corruption has spread like a deadly cancer to all areas of our national life, aggressively destroying the fabric of the nation.
“Politicians are more preoccupied with securing and retaining power and less concerned with good governance for the common good of the electorate. In fact, there seems to be a suppression of opposition as Nigeria appears to be tilting to a one-party state, the development of which is not a good omen for democracy”.
The Conference of Bishops however averred that for Nigeria to experience a radical change where the common good drives political, economic, social and cultural lives of the people, government, church, media and all citizens must play their role.
The body opined that for Nigeria to reduce electoral malpractice, government and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), must put up a more robust electoral reform that would boost confidence of voters in the electoral process, as well as appoint non-partisan persons of unquestionable integrity into the commission.
“In order to radically reduce electoral malpractice in Nigeria, we call for a more robust and comprehensive electoral reform that will not only ensure an electronic transmission of results from the polling units, but also their electronic collation in real time”.
While urging the government to invest more in agriculture, as another solution to underdevelopment, by creating an enabling environment for mechanized farming, provision of access roads and security, the Conference of Bishops also recommended stringent measures aimed at cleaning up oil spills and other applications of remediation measures in the Niger Delta Region, occasioned by oil exploration.
The Bishops also called on leaders, teachers, preachers and parents to help young people hold firmly to the gospel, while rejecting ideologies that distort the truth.
The call, the Bishops believed, had become expedient, considering the proliferation of digital devices they said could corrupt the minds and activities of the young ones if left uncensored by those charged with such responsibilities.
The Bishops therefore, expressed the hope that with deliberate efforts at improving all sectors of the economy, Nigeria would be walking towards national transformation.
Meanwhile, INSIGHT reports that the Catholic Bishops Conference has reaffirmed the Church’s teaching that assisted reproductive technologies, including In Vitro Fertilization (IVF), are gravely immoral.
According to the bishops, their position is based on the belief that IVF separates the unitive and procreative aspects of marriage and commodifies human embryos.
Instead of pursuing IVF, the CBCN encouraged couples who are unable to conceive to consider adoption and to utilise natural family planning methods, along with morally acceptable medical assistance.
