Catholic Bishops chide federal lawmakers over national sabotage

Catholic Bishops in Nigeria of the Ibadan Ecclesiastical province at their recent meeting berated lawmakers in the National Assembly over national sabotage. The Catholic Bishops had decried that the lawmakers representing Nigerians at the National Assembly are saboteurs.

The Bishops in a communique after their meeting for the year held at the Domus Pacis Pastoral Institute, Igoba, Akure, from July 19-20, 2021, lamented that the lawmakers have “perfected the art of sabotaging the progress” of the people they represent.

The Catholic clerics challenged the federal lawmakers to prioritise the interest of Nigerians before their political and selfish ambitions.

The Bishops’ were of the view that the electoral reform, electronic transmission of electoral results, press freedom, and the Petroleum Industrial Bill (PIB), should be tackled with the people’s interest at heart.

Often “the work of those who represent the people on the federal level in Nigeria does not seem to bring much satisfaction to the people for whose interest they were allegedly elected, with the national assembly at various occasions prioritizing party and privileges over people’s rights and interests, relief and progress continue to elude Nigerians,” the Bishops stated.

They denounced the passage of the amended Electoral Act and the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), encouraging Nigerians to challenge the Senate and the House of Representatives’ decisions.

The Bishops, however, urged Nigerians not to lose hope in the possibility of a peaceful, united, and prosperous country. They challenged the media and civil society groups to sustain the momentum on public awareness and education on the importance of political participation at all levels of governance.

It is, indeed, “time for Nigerians to no longer simply roll over and accept non-representative decisions of the assembly but to challenge them by all legitimate means.

“We say stand firm and never lose hope for God cannot be defeated. We call on Nigerians to continue to pray and work for a better nation, for we have no other country than this.

“If we do not give up doing good and believing in God’s promise, we shall see better days” the Bishops gad declared.