…says bad leadership major cause of Nigeria’s afflictions
…warns against electoral manipulation, backs security emergency, demands tougher action
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to take urgent and decisive steps to rescue the country, as it warned that Nigeria was drifting deeper into insecurity, economic sabotage and democratic decline.
In a communiqué titled “Leadership for the Common Good” issued at the end of its First Plenary Meeting held at the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN) on Wednesday in Abuja, the bishops declared that poor leadership and a distorted understanding of politics were at the root of Nigeria’s worsening afflictions.
While endorsing President Tinubu’s declaration of a national security emergency and the recruitment of more security personnel, the communiqué signed by the outgoing CBCN President, Archbishop Lucius Ugorji of Owerri, and outgoing Secretary, Bishop Donatus Ogun, however, noted that the results on ground had remained grim.
The communique partly reads: “We continue to experience tragic events of senseless massacre, mass burials, endless tears and grief. In all, the gunmen operate brazenly, freely and unchallenged.”
They cited mass killings in Woro and Nuku villages in Kwara State, where over 200 people were reportedly murdered, as well as repeated attacks across the North and Middle Belt, leaving farmers displaced and communities in fear.
Although acknowledging that the Federal Government had admitted it was overwhelmed and had begun seeking external assistance, the bishops insisted that “the security and destiny of our nation are in our hands.”
They called for heavy investment in modern surveillance technology, improved intelligence gathering and swift prosecution of terrorists and their sponsors.
“There is the impression that government is complicit when there is a delay in the prosecution of arrested terrorists or when there is outright pardon and reintegration of so-called repentant adherents and other criminals into the security forces,” the communiqué warned.
The bishops lamented that bad leadership and wrong ideas of politics were the major causes of afflictions in Nigeria, as it regretted that politics was erroneously understood only as rigging of elections and stealing of other people’s mandate, amassing of illicit gains or engaging in other fraudulent activities.
“We note that bad leadership in our nation has caused systemic damage, showing up in a worsening economy, widespread and persistent insecurity, and extreme poverty, despite the blessings of rich human and natural resources. This situation has fueled corruption, infrastructural decay, a high rate of unemployment and a deep lack of trust in government institutions.”
While warning that democracy in Nigeria was in decline, the CBCN lamented widespread malpractice and what it described as the manipulation of state institutions.
They accused governments at all levels of seeking to “win at all costs,” including alleged misuse of the Independent National Electoral Commission, security agencies and the judiciary.
“In our nation, governments in power usually have their own candidates in the election and therefore are parties in the contest and are thus technically not impartial.
“We call on the governments in power at all levels to resist the temptation to seek to win at all costs, including the misuse and manipulation of state institutions, such as the INEC, the security agencies and the judiciary, to achieve selfish purposes.
“In our country, various forms of electoral malpractice exist because of illegal conduct displayed by the electoral umpire, political parties, candidates or some members of the electorate.
The bishops expressed alarm at declining voter turnout, citing INEC data showing that only 23 per cent of registered voters participated in the 2023 general elections and just seven per cent in the recent FCT polls.
Framing their message around the theme of the Common Good, the bishops stressed that political participation was a moral obligation rooted in Christian faith, but cautioned leaders against tyranny and sectional interests.
“Effective leadership means the prioritisation of the Common Good over selfish and sectional interests,” they said.
They urged Nigerians not to despair, insisting that “a better Nigeria is possible,” but only if citizens and leaders alike embrace integrity, accountability and selfless service.
On the economy, the bishops accused criminal networks of sabotaging the nation’s wealth through illegal mining and bunkering, warning that trillions of naira were being lost annually while government continued to accumulate debt.
“Trillions of Naira are annually lost to bunkering and illegal mining,” they said, adding that proceeds from the sale of minerals such as gold and lithium were allegedly funding terrorist activities.
They faulted the effectiveness of the government’s “Mining Marshals” and urged the deployment of drone technology and artificial intelligence to monitor remote mining sites.
The bishops also criticised continued food importation, saying it had hurt local farmers.
“Rather than importation of food, we demand that the government provide adequate security and grant sufficient subsidy to the farmers to enable them to produce enough food for the nation,” they stated.
