The Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN) has urged Nigerians to correct what it described as ‘past mistakes’ in electing the country’s next president.
The CSN Director of Social Communications, Rev. Fr. Michael Nsikak Umoh, made the call weekend in Abuja during the Secretariat’s 2022 Communication week and media parley.
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He urged Nigerians to shun politicians that play the dual cards of religion and ethnicity as a smokescreen for their sinister interest, saying that Nigeria cannot afford to elect such people in 2023.
He said that such errors of the previous election circle plunged the nation into the lingerie pains and other crisis bedeviling the nation.
“The next dispensation, which we eagerly look forward to with hope, does not give room for trading blames or for those petty partisanship, which have often been defined along tribal, ethnic, religious or political affiliations.
“These tools, in the hands of typical politicians have been used for too long to mesmerize and exploit the people; most politicians use them as a smokescreen to hide their clandestine interests and ambitions.
“Now, more than ever, is the time true Nigerians must rise in unison to act and lend their voices to all that is good and noble in order to save our country. It is time to wise up and correct mistakes of the past that have plunged the nation into the excruciating pains we now experience,” Umoh said.
He said that the only reasonable political consideration now left to choose from, irrespective of tribe, tongue and religious beliefs, is between truth and falsehood, good and bad, the oppressed and the oppressor, and the loyal and disloyal citizens of our country.
The CSN spokesman who decried the level of political apathy among citizens, said that millions of citizens do not yet have the permanent voters’ card (PVCs) while many who have one fail to vote on election days.
He said, “We cannot wait for another chance, if we are blessed to have this one (2023), and we may not have another chance to rescue this nation, if we fail to take advantage of this one.
“In view of this, every good citizen of Nigeria must go out to obtain their voter’s card, while INEC must ensure that this process is made easy for the people and their votes are made to count during election.”
He said that the theme of this year’s World Communication Day, “Listen to the ear of the heart” implies freely giving one’s time to listen to the people which is the first act of charity.
The CSN Secretary General, Rev. Fr. Zacharia Samjumi, in his opening remarks, commended journalists for all they do in using their platforms to ending all forms of persecution, bringing to the fore the plight of the masses and making their voices heard.
On his part, the Priest in charge of Church and Society, Rev. Fr. Uche Obiechina, said that the church does not dabble into partisan politics, including the choice of the next president.
He also said that it was against the delay in signing the Electoral Act Amendment Bill into law.
“Politics is about governance, about well-being of the people, so the church in Nigeria and Catholic Church anywhere in the world, supports politics and encourages its members to play politics.
“Catholic Church does not play partisan politics but members of the church are expected to play party politics, just that the church as an institution ought not to play party politics. Party politics means politics of APC, PDP, PRP and whatever. The church cannot play such politics, because there are members of the church that are in APC, PDP or PRP. Because of this we cannot identify with any political party,” he said.
Obiechina said that what the does is to recognise individual church members and to encourage them participate actively in politics but not to support the parties.
He said, “But church identifies with our sons and daughters in various political parties. And that is why the church will not field a candidate and say vote for PDP or APC. The church does not do that and would not do that.”
On the amended Electoral Act Amendment Bill, he said the Catholic Church is advising the President to ensure the conduct of the election respects known symbols of operation and practices that will guarantee free and fair election.
“The government of the day is dilly-dallying on assenting to this bill. We are against such dilly-dallying. The President should assent to the bill because the bill provides for regulations that will ensure transparency of practice during election and even after elections,” he said.
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