CATHOLIC BISHOPS EXPRESS SADNESS OVER NIGERIAN SITUATION.

The Nigerian Bishops under the Catholic Bishop’s Conference of Nigerian have in one voice condemned the deteriorating social situations in Nigeria, adding that the country has continued to suffer under the weight of corruption, and our people live in fear because of insecurity of life and property. The Bishops made this observation in a Communiqué issued at the end of the Second Plenary Meeting of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) at the Centre of Transfiguration Kafanchan, Kaduna State between September 7th to 12th, 2009.The Communiqué which was titiled:”Conversion for Justice and Reconciliation” was jointly signed by its Chairman, Most Rev.Felix Alaba Job, the archbishop of Ibadan and Most Rev.Dr.Alfred Martin of Abeokuta.
The Bishops reaffirmed the observation they made on the distress of the nation in their communiqué at the conclusion of the 2nd Plenary in 1997 where they stated then:” The social ills of armed robbery,violent,official corruption, deteriorating infrastructure, falling standard of education and health care, have continued unabated to such an extent that the quality of life of most Nigerians has degenerated to a level that is below human dignity”, nothing that twelve years later, indices of distress abound in our country. Continuing the Bishops unequivocally stated.” The evil of corruption has made of us an improvised people inhabiting a land of immense riches .The level of poverty in our land and the problem of insecurity go hand in hand. Strike actions embarked upon by numerous associations and unions in the country, are further signals of a country in distress and in dire need of direction”. The bishops call on the leaders of the nation to formulate policies that would alleviate the suffering of the masses.
Lamenting on the level of unemployment among our youths, the Bishops noted,” The collapse of infrastructure has a negative impact on economic activities. When the economy is in turmoil, millions of young Nigerians cannot be gainfully employed. Perceiving their country, Nigeria, as a country that dashes their hopes, many of such young people end up on the payroll of people who arm them to be political thugs, kidnappers, or armed robbers. Many others are used by state and local government in this country to extort money from Nigerians such that traveling from one local government to another has become a nightmare, an adventure in paying sundry tolls”. The Bishops therefore appealed to the government to create employment for our youths.
Also, in the Communiqué, the Bishops recognize that corruption is not only at the higher levels of public life.” It is also found at the lower levels of our life: from the filling station attendant who tampers with the dispensing machines, the messengers or clerk who hide files, the stockbroker who manipulates the markets, the policeman or woman who extorts money from citizen, the banker who defrauds shareholders and customers of his bank, the judge who fiddles with justice, the lawyer who sells out his client, the politician who rigs elections, the teacher who solicits favours from students, the student who cheats while writing an examination, the religious leaders or preacher who manipulates the people in the place of worship for his own purpose, the farmer or seller of farm produce who hides rotten foodstuffs under fresh ones, the hawker in traffic who runs away with your change” and invite Nigerians to totally change their attitudes and such a change must be personal and collective for the good of the society.
The Bishops finally call on the citizens to submit to God from the depths of their hearts as the human heart is the sanctuary of the Spirit of God so that the human person can be recreated in the image of the Son of God.” When we open our hearts to the Holy Spirit, our worship will please God, and our actions will be acceptable in his sight. Then shall we be just to God and our neighbor, and then shall peace and justice reign amongst us in our land”, the Bishops conclude.