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Catholic Bishops demand electoral reforms
Catholic Bishops demand electoral reforms
MALACHY UZENDU,
in Makurdi
PRESIDENT of
Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) and Archbishop of Abuja, Dr. John
Onaiyekan, yesterday thumbed down the country�s electoral system as constricted
and called for immediate reforms.
He made the appeal at the opening of the
Bishops� Conference in Makurdi, the Benue State capital.
President Olusegun Obasanjo, who also
spoke on the occasion, said the problem facing his administration�s
anti-corruption drive was immunity being enjoyed by some culpable public office
holders.
The constitution, he said, is being
amended to ensure that thieves of public funds are appropriately punished.
Archbishop Onaiyekan urged the nation�s
political leadership to resist the temptation of denying the populace the
opportunity to express their political choices.
He noted that for any meaningful change in
the polity, the political leadership must change the current electoral practices
and pave way for free and fair elections.
According to him, the basic tenet of
democratic governance revolves around the opportunity for people to "assess and
reshuffle their rulers." But he lamented that such had not been nurtured by
government.
Reminding the political leadership of the
need to avoid planlessness and shabby conduct of elections, the Bishop noted
that previous elections were held in haphazard manner.
He emphasised that "those who are now
ruling us must resist the temptation to deny the people this regular opportunity
for a real choice.
"This opportunity comes at election and
all that leads to free and fair election. We must not wait till election year to
start running around. This is the time to begin to lay a good foundation for
better performance than we have seen in the past," he counselled.
Bishop Onaiyekan said the conference is
held twice yearly so that bishops would besides brainstorming on matters
relating to the church, reflect and pray for the nation.
He called on Catholics in the political
arena to strive to change the current political attitudes which he contended
were based on fraud and sincerity.
"Meeting here in Makurdi, we are not
unconscious of the fact that by the grace of God, many Catholics are in
positions of responsibility in the public service.
"We urge them never to forget that they
are the church that everyone see in the political arena," he stressed.
President Olusegun Obasanjo, through his
Special Adviser on Ethics and Good Governance, Mr. Kanu Agabi (SAN), in his
address, said though the administration is being seen in some quarters to be
corrupt they have taken appropriate measures against such practices.
He said the major problem faced by
government in tackling corruption were being hampered by those who enjoy
immunity.
He hinted that measures have been put in
place at amending the constitution so that those who steal public funds and
stash them abroad, would be appropriately punished.
Benue State Governor, George Akume, on his
part, commended the bishops for holding a consistent views on the nation and for
offering appropriate advice as well as praying for the nation.
He said apart from helping his
administration to increase up social amenities, the Catholic Church had provided
innumerable relief materials for displaced persons from Nassarawa and Taraba
States and assisted in averting other communal clashes.
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