News Editor
By David Odama
The Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) has issued a stark warning that the country risks total collapse if corruption and entrenched bad governance were not tackled decisively.
The Bishops in a a communiqué at the end of their 2nd plenary meeting for 2025 in Ikot Ekpene signed by the CBCN President and Archbishop of Owerri, Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji, the Secretary CBCN and Bishop of Uromi, Donatus Ogun, expressed deep concerns over the tilting of Nigeria to a one party state through suppression.
The Bishops also frowned at the selfish attitude of politicians, the abandonment of duties to focus on developing strategies to grasp power in the forthcoming 2027 elections.
Also, the Bishops expressed concerns over the worsening issues of insecurity, increased rate of youth unemployment, inadequate health facilities amid brain drain of medical and education workers, regular power outage leading to exorbitant costs for businesses and individuals. According to them, the current state of affairs threatens Nigeria’s unity and stability.
The communique partly reads: “The fundamental cause of our problems as a nation is corruption and bad governance. Corruption understood as moral rottenness, has spread unhindered like a deadly cancer to all areas of our national life, aggressively destroying the fabric of the nation. In the face of many live threats, politicians are more preoccupied with securing and retaining power and less concerned with good governance for the common good of the electorate.
“Abandoning their duties, they seem more concerned with the pursuit of their personal political agenda and perfecting strategies to grasp power in 2027. In fact, there seems to be suppression of opposition as Nigeria appears to be tilting to a one-party state, the development of which is not a good omen for democracy.
“We observe that many politicians are merely strategizing, aligning and realigning, defecting from one party to another; and posturing for future political offices with little or no intention to contribute to the common good and make better the lives of the citizens.
“Our nation may collapse if the current situation lingers. There is need for a radical change to where the common good drives our political, economic, social and cultural life. The government, the Church, the education sector, the media and indeed all citizens have their roles to play.”
The Bishops called for a review of relevant laws to strengthen the independence and credibility of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and protect it from interference, as they highlighted persistent electoral flaws in Nigeria such as “electoral violence, voter suppression, technical failures, multiple thumb printing of ballot papers, manipulation of voters’ register, and declaration of fake electoral results.
“This state of affairs results in increasing voter apathy that is experienced in our country today. In order to radically reduce electoral malpractice in Nigeria, we call for a more robust and comprehensive electoral reform that should not only ensure an electronic transmission of results from the polling units, but also their electronic collation in real time.”
To fully restore the confidence of voters in the electoral process, the Bishops insisted on an electoral reform that must ensure transparent and unbiassed appointment of the principal officers of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) who were non-partisan and of unquestionable integrity.
“Unfortunately, the activities of many of those so far appointed fall below expectation. We call on the judiciary to live above board in electoral matters. This is necessary for the maintenance of social stability in our nation.”
Raising concerns over the proliferation of fertility clinics in Nigeria, the Bishops condemned the use of assisted reproductive technology especially In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) by couples seeking to have children, describing the act as immoral and a sin against God.
“This practice has a lot of implications on the dignity of human embryos which are often wasted in the process. The operators of IVF seem to ignore the moral implications of their choices. We, therefore, reaffirm the teaching of the Church which regards IVF as gravely immoral because it separates the unitive and procreative aspects of the marital act, a separation which the Church condemns as sinful.
“While we are deeply concerned about the pain, struggles, and emotional challenges faced by childless couples, we uphold the Church’s moral position on the appropriate means of procreation. We, therefore, encourage adoption of children and use of natural family planning methods and morally based medically assistance.”
Commending government’s tax reform efforts to curb multiple taxations and give relief to low-income earners, the Bishops urged government to put in place, regulation that would prohibit production of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) in order to preserve the life and health of all Nigerian.
“We, therefore, call on Nigerians to work towards an authentic national transformation that will affect every sector of the Society. As we celebrate the Jubilee Year of Hope, we renew our hope for a better Nigeria, where everyone will feel secure and at home,” the Bishops concluded.
