*Ask Nigerians to shun ethic, religious and other sentiments during voting
*Lampoon government for rising insecurity, economic crises, despite contrary claims
By Ezechukwu Eze
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), at the opening session of their 2023 First Plenary Assembly at the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria Resource Centre, Durumi, Abuja, Sunday, urged Nigerians to avoid being pushed by clannish, ethnic, religious sentiments in their choice for the next set of leaders, during the general elections.
In an address by Most Rev. Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji, Archbishop of Owerri and President of the CBCN, the Bishops also called on politicians to play by the rules and avoid precipitating violence or vote-buying.
He further enjoined the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to uphold the principle of neutrality as electoral umpire and avoid compromise in favour of any political party or actor.
The Bishops bemoaned insecurity worsened by Boko Haram militia, Fulani herdsmen, bandits and unknown gunmen, saying in spite of government assurances, they 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,” they stated.
They noted that “our collapsing national economy worsens the ugly situation.
“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.
“On account of long-persisting fuel scarcity, Nigerians spend endless hours in long queues under harsh weather conditions trying to buy fuel at exorbitant prices.
“The disastrous implementation of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) cash swap policy, which resulted in a cash crunch, has added to the ordeal, anger and frustration of the masses,” Bishop Ugorji stated.
He added that 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”.
On the sad situation, CBCN declared that “the government seems overwhelmed by the situation, despite its claim that it is on top of the matter.
“With the forthcoming general elections drawing close, people perceive a glimmer of light after a very long and dark tunnel.
“The untold and undeserved suffering to which Nigerians have been subjected over the years is a good preparation for us to vote wisely during the forthcoming general elections.
“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 elections.
“Candidates vying for political offices should prove themselves to be decent, respectable, peaceful and honest Nigerians.
“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 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 wish to remind the faithful of their civic and moral responsibility of voting during elections.
“We encourage all citizens to go to the polls en masse to exercise their franchise”. They told Nigerians that the forthcoming general elections allow them 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.
“For the sake of the common good, every voter should vote wisely. 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 to the common good,” he said.
They called on the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) to live above board as an independent and impartial umpire and ensure that their conduct in the electoral process is beyond reproach.
“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”.
They however applauded INEC for introducing the Bi-Modal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) in the electoral process, expressing the 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, Prof. 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 elections should be reported to the appropriate quarters,” the Bishops stated.
They urged the military and other security agencies to remain neutral and not be used to intimidate voters or political opponents.
“Likewise, candidates should shun the use of political thugs to disrupt the electoral process or to threaten their political opponents.
“In general, the youth should not allow themselves to be used as canon fodders by unscrupulous politicians to unleash violence or disrupt the electoral process”.
Bishop Ugorji addressed the issue of climate change and further prayed for the victims of the Turkey-Syria earthquake.
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