Independent anniversary: Bishops blame Nigeria’s problems on leaderships

Say Nigeria is negotiable

Maduako Igbokwe l Wednesday, Sept 30, 2020

ONITSHA, Anambra, Nigeria – Catholic Bishop of Awka Diocese, Most Reverend Dr. Paulinus Ezeokafor and his Anglican counterpart, Alexander Ibezim, who is also the Archbishop of the church’s province of the Niger, have decried leadership deficiency in the country, saying that once the leadership of the country is Get it right, every other thing would follow.

Both clergymen who spoke separately on  occasion  to mark the 60th anniversary of the country’s independence said that the country needs good leaders who will lead them on a spiritual rebirth and that only then will the country be restored to glory.

Bishop Ezeokafor in an interview said, “Nigeria’s 60th independence anniversary is something worth celebrating, and worth thanking God for, but it is time for us to think back about how the journey has been and how we can position for the future.

“Chinua Achebe said many years ago that the problem with Nigeria is leadership, and that problem is still with us. Political arrangement and means of electing people into authority should be looked into. We are the kind of leader we get, I am a Nigerian and I am worried about the way we select our leaders. The last election in Edo was more like it, but generally, our elections have not been fair.

“We know there is no human institution that does not have flaws, but we must be sure the flaws are minimal. If the flaws are more and persistently remains so, then there is a problem.

“We must be sure that the ways of choosing our leaders must be transparent enough. People should not go into leadership because they want to amass wealth. People now go into leadership not just to make money, but to steal money their generations yet unborn would not be able to spend. We’re the kind of leaders we get, so we must look at our leadership selection process.

“I feel bad when I hear people say Nigeria’s unity is not negotiable. One Nigeria at all cost is not believable. We must look at the challenges of each of the zones that are agitating for a separate state and know what their problems are, and how it can be resolved.

“I like Nigeria as one country, but some people should not be made slaves in the country. Nigeria belongs to all of us, and some people should not see the country as theirs. Nigeria is negotiable.

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“Even the constitution made by the military is still being used today and we still look at Nigeria as non-negotiable. We were handed that constitution by the military and up till this day, we are still using it and some people think this is not negotiable? It is not true.  That constitution is one thing we should look into.”

Also, Ibezim in his separate interview insisted that until  the leaders of the country lead her into spiritual healing, the problems in the country will persist.

“Every time people say: pray, pray, pray, God is not an author of confusion. God is interested in how we live our lives. Everybody is religious in Nigeria, but religion without ethical values has no meaning because God abhors corruption; and God abhors wickedness.

“The prayer of a wicked man is an abomination in the sight of God. Our political  leaders should know that their time has tenure.  Life is a journey. People are crying that life is very difficult. There is a  day of accountability. If there is no accountability here, there must be accountability before God. Leaders should know they are leading human being not animals.”