Religious leaders nationwide have been called upon to intensify their prayers for the peaceful and successful conduct of general elections in 2023.
The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Sen. Lekan Balogun made the call while receiving on a courtesy the Archbishop of Ibadan Ecclesiastical Province, Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, Most Rev. Abiodun Olaoye at his Alarere residence, Ibadan on Thursday.
He noted that the next year’s election, being a transitional one “holds a very strategic place in the life of the country, considering the present state of the nation”.
The monarch maintained that “the situation of the country seems to have defied human capacity and capability and in that wise, the only alternative is to intensify our prayers which is why I’m calling on you, our fathers in the Lord not to relent on your sacred duty of praying for the country and you will surely pray through by the special grace of God”.
He assured the visiting clerics that he would use his position as a paramount ruler to talk to the politicians on the need to address the myriad of problems confronting the country.
He, however insisted that religious leaders have greater role to play because, virtually all of those leading or aspiring to lead at all level of governance practice either Christianity or Islam and worship under them.
Leading a team of Bishops and others on the visit, the ArchBishop in his speech said, “it saddens one to hear or read on daily basis the incidences of kidnapping, corruption, banditry and other social vices which seem to have continued unabated. To those of us that are ached by all these, it is time we peep into the causes and jointly proffer solutions.
“The image of the country is daily being projected in negative perspectives due to all these evil acts. As leaders, be it traditional, religious or political, we owe the citizens the moral burden of good governance as no one would be exonerated of the blame if we all fail in our responsibilities of bequeathing a nation that everyone, young or old, man or woman would be proud of, especially when this our present generation would have been off the scene”, the clergyman added.
The head of 17 Anglican dioceses located in Oyo and Osun states axis disclosed that “Anglican Communion recognizes the roles of traditional rulers in nation building, particularly at this period when our dear country is facing serious challenges in virtually in all areas of human endeavour. Our visit is partly to commend the fatherly efforts of Oba Balogun in this regard.
“We also solicit for collective actions at combating the challenges as we encourage all hands to be on deck in annihilating these incidents of decadence which has become cankerworms that has eaten deeply into the very fabric of this nation. Nigeria is a blessed country, full of God’s grace and potentials. We must all come together to make it great again”, he further urged the monarch.
ALSO READ FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
- EDITORIAL: ICPC’s Budget Padding Allegation
- Olubadan tasks religious leaders on successful 2023 poll
and then