Catholic Bishops Urge Northern Govs to be Fair to All Religions

•Presbyterian church backs rotational presidency
Onyebuchi Ezigbo

Catholic Bishops of the Kaduna Ecclesiastical Province have asked governors of the states in the northern part of country to ensure that leaders of all religious groups and the wider society were carried along in formulating policies that affected them.

The position of the Catholic bishops, which was stated in a statement, came just as the Prelate of the Presbyterian Church, His Eminence Nzie Nsi Eke has made a case for the rotation of country’s leadership among the various geo-political zones.

In the statement jointly signed by the Chairman of the Kaduna Ecclesiastical Bishops conference and Archbishop of Kaduna Most Rev. Matthew Man’so Ndagoso and Secretary, the Bishop of Kano, Most Rev. Dr. John Namaza Niyiring, the Bishops said they were ready to support the governors to see an end to the violence and tragedies happening in the country.

He cautioned Nigerians not to allow the country to slide into dictatorship as the 2023 general election approaches.

In a statement issued at the weekend, the Catholic bishops said, the actions of some of the governors in the past and even present have given some evil-minded elements a window to pepertrate evil in the name of religion.

Kaduna Ecclesiastical Province comprises the Diocese of Kaduna, Kano and Sokoto where Bishop Hassan Kukah also presides.
In the statement dotted with Biblical quotes, the bishops said: “It is important for us all to understand that the northern states have been the most affected in the tragedies, loss of human lives and horror that have engulfed our nation. We all know that sadly, the perpetrators of these evils are constantly appealing to the religion of Islam to validate their criminality.

“We, therefore, call on our governors to become more circumspect in the policies that are being enunciated regarding Religion. Adequate consultations should be undertaken with all religious leaders and the wider society, because our plural societies demand nothing less if laws are to be for the good of all”.

The bishop said laws must be anchored on the principles of democracy and national cohesion.

They lamented that the last few years have been the most trying times in the history of our nation, adding that a culture of self-doubt and uncertainty have bred fear, anxiety and deep suspicion among the people.

“Except for the civil war, our nation has never witnessed the kind of wide spread macabre, evil, wanton destruction and murderous blood-letting.

“Life has never been so cheap, nor has Nigeria ever been at the stage we are in now. Deaths in the hands of kidnappers, killer herdsmen, bandit, terrorist groups have made Nigeria the most terrorised country in the world. We are now one of the most dangerous place to be born into, the least peaceful countries in the world,” the statement stated.

In addition, the Bishops said abductions of school children has presented us with the prospects of a traumatised generation of young students.

“Even at the best of times, our region has been behind in almost every index of human survival,” said the Bishops.