AHEAD of 2023 general election, the Diocesan Bishop of Owo, Bishop Stephen Fagbemi, has appealed to politicians to do away with all selfish interests and deal with urgent national issues affecting the country.
Fagbemi disclosed this at the Bishop’s Charge of the First Session of the 14th Synod of the Diocese of Owo with the theme, “Chosen to Proclaim”, held at St Paul’s Church, Ifon, Ose Local Government, Ondo State.
He said Nigeria continues to feature negatively on the news every day, 62 years after independence, saying, “what should have been the giant of Africa has found itself in a most unenviable, lamentable and unfortunate state, to the extent that some are beginning to suggest that it is becoming a failed state.”
The bishop said: “The country has not failed completely, the indices offer no commendation or prospects. From governance to economy and the various sectors of it, Nigeria is found wanting. No appreciable progress is made in education; no success has been recorded in security, neither is economy anything to write home about.
“With the recent conclusion of primaries of the various political parties, Nigeria is on its way to another set of general elections, which should see a new set of people assume leadership roles, especially in the Presidency, come May 29, 2023.
“We are grateful that our democratic experience has continued uninterrupted these past twenty-two years. But our system is bedeviled with many ills. Perhaps most disturbing is the lack of honesty and courage by our leaders to address our numerous problems. Nigeria has become a nation of agitations when no solution is proffered or adopted. We continue to increase our problems and chicken out when faced with the options of resolving them.
“The debate around the choice of a running mate for the presidential candidates has recently opened up once again an aspect of our problems that deserves attention. It was fervently canvassed that in the view of present realities, there should be no Muslim-Muslim ticket for the Presidency or even Christian-Christian ticket at that.
“The state of things in the country does not favour this, and it would be the height of insensitivity to do so. Some people argued that if you have to pick a candidate from the North it must be a Muslim. There is a pertinent question to ask, namely: is it that there are no Christian politicians in the entire North or that those are non-Nigerians or second class citizens because they are non-Muslim politicians while our primary interest is to find in power or leadership position in Nigeria those who are fair-minded with the necessary aptitude and courage to lead Nigeria out of its quagmire.
“It remains a serious matter that unless and until we get to a point of recognising the rights of every Nigerian to practise the faith of their choice without any intimidation and discrimination, peace, progress and justice will continue to elude this country,” he noted.
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