Elections in Nigeria
by Catholic Bishops of Nigeria
"The whole world is watching to see how we will conduct the elections this year. The 2007 elections provide Nigeria and Nigerians a momentous occasion to resolve to return to the path of honor in the conduct of elections," the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Nigeria said in a statement at the end of its meeting Feb. 26 - March 3 in New Lugbe, Abuja. Elections will take place in Nigeria April 14 and 21. The bishops' reflection on the state of the country noted signs of hope and areas of concern, and exhorted leaders and citizens to work to improve the country. The bishops praised the spirit of the Nigerian people: "Our people have shown that they do not give up in the face of obstacles to their welfare. This resilience is nourished by faith in God even when the way and manner in which religion is practiced remains a challenge for us as pastors of the people." Among areas of concern, they listed the elections, disregard for the rule of law, the Niger River Delta crisis and turmoil in family life. They noted that the electoral crisis and the problems in the oil-rich Niger River Delta are closely related, that "at the heart of our electoral crises is the belief that politics is about the acquisition of wealth, of oil wealth, by the political officeholder: In a curious paradox, our country is rich but our people are poor. That a country of great abundance is inhabited by people who labor under dehumanizing deprivation is a source of major concern." The bishops called on the government to ensure free and fair elections and asked politicians to refrain from uncivil discourse. The bishops' statement follows.
I. Preamble
1. We members of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Nigeria held our first plenary meeting for the year 2007 at the Divine Love Retreat and Conference Centre, New Lugbe, Abuja, from Feb. 26 to March 3, 2007. During the plenary, we prayerfully reflected on and discussed the theme "Good Governance, Democracy and Christian Responsibility." We now present our communique to the church and to the nation.
II. Signs of Hope
2. Our faith in God inspires us to see signs of hope in the life of the church in Nigeria and in the life of Nigeria itself. We believe in God, and we believe that God's blessings have not and will not elude our church and our country.
Growth in the Church
3. Among the signs of hope we see is the growth and the attainment of maturity of the church in Nigeria. We note that our first plenary this year is taking place shortly after the centenary of the arrival of Catholicism in Uyo Diocese, and in the dioceses north of the Rivers Niger and Benue. The centenary celebrations in Ekeya, Uyo Diocese, from Dec. 7 - 9, 2006, and in Shendam, Jos Archdiocese, on Feb. 10, 2007, bear eloquent testimony to the growth and maturity of the church in our country. In Shendam we were blessed with the presence of Cardinal Ivan Dias, prefect, Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.
We have also witnessed an addition to the number of Catholic bishops in Nigeria in the episcopal ordination of Bishop John Ebebe Ayah as bishop of Ogoja, and the appointment of Msgr. Paulinus Ezeokafor as auxiliary bishop of Awka. Msgr. Ezeokafor's episcopal ordination will take place at St. Patrick's Cathedral, Awka, on April 28, 2007.
While we rejoice in the growth of the church in our country, we pray, hope and work that this will translate into the formation of Christians who will participate in public life with maturity, honesty and utmost responsibility.
Positive Developments in the Nation
4. Some of the recent interventions by the judiciary and the national assembly, insofar as they stood by the side of the rule of law and good governance, helped to avert deepening the crisis in our fragile democracy. May such firm interventions become the norm and not the exception in the life of our country.
5. Even though we have witnessed religious and ethnic conflicts in the distant and recent memories of our country, we see hope in an increasing number of Nigerians who initiate and nurture friendship across ethnic and religious divides. There are reasons to believe that Nigerians can live together as members of God's family in peace and harmony.
6. Nigerians freely express themselves perceptively and with civility on matters that pertain to the common good. This demonstrates their profound desire for good governance. This very desire is a sign of hope. This hope is reinforced by the granting of licenses to 35 private radio stations this year. Government is demonstrating its willingness to enter into partnership with private organizations in the information and education sectors. We therefore hope that government will soon begin to grant licenses to religious bodies as it is done in other countries.
7. Living in very difficult conditions, deprived of functional infrastructure like good roads, good transportation, reliable supply of electricity, Nigerians, despite being highly critical of the situation in the country, remain resilient and joyful. Those who describe Nigerians as the happiest people in the world have good reasons to say so. Our people have shown that they do not give up in the face of obstacles to their welfare. This resilience is nourished by faith in God even when the way and manner in which religion is practiced remains a challenge for us as pastors of the people.
8. The hope that Nigeria represents has already been beautifully described by Pope John Paul II of blessed memory, who at the end of his first visit to Nigeria 25 years ago said: "I take away with me very vivid memories of a great nation, a generous people, a dynamic church, a richly endowed and warmhearted youth, a country which honors the family, respects the elderly and regards children as a blessing. In short, I take with me an unforgettable memory of a country which is a credit to Africa, to the world and to the church of Jesus Christ" (address at departure from Nigeria, 1982, No. 2).
III. Areas of Concern
9. If our hope is to be realized and not become a vain illusion, there are areas of concern which we need to identify and address as pastors and as citizens of our country.
Another Election Year
10. The fact that this is another election year is a matter of grave concern for us and for most Nigerians. Past experiences make Nigerians enter this season of elections with heightened trepidation. If every election in the history of Nigeria has ended on a note of controversy, Nigerians wonder if it would be different this time around. They long for free and fair elections. The level of preparedness of security agencies and the Independent National Electoral Commission makes many Nigerians doubt if the electoral process will reflect their will and produce a credible leadership. If the political parties are incapable or unwilling to conduct credible primary elections, what guarantee have Nigerians that the April 2007 elections will be credible?
11. At the heart of our electoral crises is the belief that politics is about the acquisition of wealth, of oil wealth, by the political officeholder. In a curious paradox, our country is rich but our people are poor. That a country of great abundance is inhabited by people who labor under dehumanizing deprivation is a source of major concern.
Disregard for the Rule of Law
12. Yet it is not only our leaders who are culpable. The led also have questions to answer. Disrespect for the rule of law has become a common feature of our life. It shows itself in various forms of indiscipline, by the leaders and the led, by the mighty and the lowly in the land. It shows itself in the scandalous disregard for court orders even by government.
Lawlessness and indiscipline make good governance difficult. Selfishness inspires disregard for the law and thus works against the common good. To work against the common good is to work against the dignity that pertains to us as human beings. It shows itself at the heart of a culture of death that is spreading across the length and breadth of Nigeria. It shows itself in the crime wave that continues to be on the increase while law enforcement agents appear helpless or in any case unhelpful.
Crisis in the Niger Delta
13. The lingering crisis in the Niger Delta remains a major source of concern. Oil exploration has brought wealth to oil companies and to a few. The staggering cost to millions of inhabitants of the region who are yet to benefit from the wealth is a death-dealing ecological degradation and a gross violation of fundamental human rights. It is a grave sin that the Niger Delta, a region that has contributed immensely to the wealth of this country, remains a region of dehumanizing poverty, unemployment and a destroyed ecosystem.
Turmoil in Family Life
14. The turmoil in our society cannot be separated from the turmoil in family life. The family is the nucleus of the human society. A just society is a happy society. But a just society is an aggregate of just citizens. Such citizens are born into and nurtured in just families.
Family life is vital to the continued existence of the human society as a whole. When family life is sick, its consequences are felt in the society. That is why we view with grave concern threats to the traditional sacredness of family life such as the evil of abortion and the attempt to legalize same-sex "marriages" in our country.
IV. Exhortation
15. Twenty-five years ago Pope John Paul II's description of Nigeria as a credit to Africa, to the world and to the church of Christ laid before us what we are called to become and can become if we seek the path of virtue. This is already being realized among the signs of hope we enumerated earlier. At the same time, the areas of concern we have identified warn us not to relent in our efforts until we become the type of country the Lord wants us to be.
As pastors our prophetic duty is to exhort with the word of God, the word which the prophet Ezekiel was commanded to address to dry bones so as to resuscitate them (cf. Ez 37:4-10; Ps 104:30). Christ confirmed this word by sending the Spirit to renew the face of the earth (cf. Jn 20:19-23). We believe this same Spirit will renew the face of our beloved country Nigeria. That is why he moves us to present the following exhortation.
The Virtue of Love and Good Governance
16. Techniques of social, political and economic re-engineering are necessary but not sufficient in transforming a country. Virtues are necessary. We therefore urge that the virtue of patriotism, that is, of love of the land and of its people, be reawakened in every Nigerian, leaders and led, young and old.
This evocation of patriotism is done in the name of love, which every religion advocates. True religion promotes patriotism (cf. Jas 1:27). Politics itself, despite its many misconceptions, is the concretization of the love of God in the city of man. The love that true religion motivates makes one to see politics as striving for a just city of man in preparation for the perfection of justice in the city of God.
17. Good governance is not just about elections. It necessarily involves consultation and dialogue between the people and their representatives. It requires the participation of all. We therefore appeal to all Nigerians to participate in the political process of this country.
Leaders and policymakers, no matter how intelligent and well intentioned, must listen to the people they claim to serve. Those who lead the land at every level of governance must not become overbearing masters but humble servants of the people. Lest we languish in tyranny, government must not become more powerful than the people. For in a democracy the people put the government in place. Those who govern are not lords; those they govern are not subjects. All are equal citizens, and none is to be taken for granted.
18. If virtue is needed for good politics, how can we fail to mention that good role models are needed for the acquisition of virtue. We sing in our national anthem, "The labors of our heroes past shall never be in vain." Nigerians, especially the younger generation, need good role models in politics. Role models are also needed in every sphere of our life.
Where there are no heroes, heroic achievements are hard to come by. This country needs heroes who exemplify the virtues of courage, wisdom, justice, self-control, hard work, humility and honesty. It is not a case of calling on others to be heroic. It is a case of each of us striving to be good role models in and out of our country in whatever sphere of human endeavor divine providence has placed us. We pray for the emergence of "holy politicians and saintly heads of state who profoundly love their own people and wish to serve rather than be served" (Ecclesia in Africa, 111).
Peaceful, Free and Fair Elections
19. The whole world is watching to see how we will conduct the elections this year. The 2007 elections provide Nigeria and Nigerians a momentous occasion to resolve to return to the path of honor in the conduct of elections. These elections will either increase or diminish the respect that the international community has for Nigeria. To our politicians, we ask, What does it profit a politician if he steals the mandate to rule and loses the trust of the people? We cannot afford to fail, and there must be no rigging.
Nigerians deserve and demand free and fair elections from the ruling and opposition parties, from INEC and from the security agencies. In the buildup to these elections mistakes have been made already. But a number of things can still be corrected in the days that remain before the elections. We therefore make a passionate appeal that all political parties, INEC, security agents and the judiciary ensure that there be a level playing ground for all.
We appeal to all politicians to exhibit a more positive attitude to the concept and practice of politics. Power must be handled with great care and must not be misused by those in authority. We therefore call on the ruling party not to use the power of incumbency to subvert the wishes of the people. Free and fair elections are in the interest of the common good. Such elections are not do-or-die affairs. In fact, when elections are free and fair there are no losers. All are winners.
20. As they campaign for public office, we urge our politicians to refrain from intemperate and uncivil language and address issues that affect the lives of Nigerians. Nigerians want to know how our politicians will address issues of poverty, unemployment, energy, education, insecurity, religious disharmony, marginalization of women, etc. Instead of a campaign marked by character assassination, we need a campaign that discusses how economic reforms can lead to economic independence and the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals.
On their own part, Nigerians should vote according to their consciences in the coming elections. This is a necessary condition for the enthronement of a credible leadership at various levels of governance.
Just War on Corruption
21. There cannot be good governance where there is corruption. All of us must join hands in erasing the stigma of corruption on this country. There is justice in a war on corruption. Yet a just war must be fought justly. That is why we call on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to be comprehensive, just and fair in its treatment of cases of corruption.
The manner of releasing information by the EFCC may amount to trying people in the media, where the burden of proof is lighter than in a well-constituted court. We urge that utmost respect be accorded the principle that no one is guilty until proven in a well-constituted court. All semblance of lynching should be avoided.
Any government that professes to fight corruption sets for itself the high ideal of fighting injustice. Any government that professes to fight injustice must itself be just. Prompt obedience to court orders is a requirement of justice. When the courts of the land are disrespected, peace and stability can no longer be guaranteed. We appeal to government and its agents to respect the judiciary, while we urge the judiciary to dispense justice promptly and without fear or favor.
Peaceful Resolution of the Niger Delta Crisis
22. The Niger Delta issue is a question of justice and good governance that concerns all. The degradation caused by oil exploration threatens the livelihood of present and future generations in the Niger Delta. At the same time violence is scaring away companies that provide means of livelihood for many.
We urge relevant agencies of government to call political officeholders in the region to account for the way resources accruing to the region have been used. Where there are proven cases of misappropriation, appropriate laws should be applied. We appeal to our youths in the Niger Delta to eschew violence. Violence will not provide any lasting solution to the problem of the Niger Delta. For violence is a journey to a land of no return.
V. Conclusion
23. We call on the justice, development and peace commissions at diocesan and provincial levels, all Catholics and indeed all civil society organizations to be protagonists in the quest for free, fair and peaceful elections. We call the attention of the clergy, consecrated persons and our lay faithful to the theme of the Lenten campaign for the year 2007: "Justice: An Imperative for Democracy." We declare that the fifth week of Lent be set aside to fast and pray for peaceful, free and fair elections.
24. That our hope may not be in vain and that this generation of leaders and the led not weep on its deathbed, we as bishops appeal that we all work together to lay a foundation for a future when generations yet unborn will bless and not curse our memories.
25. Our hope will not be in vain because, with the psalmist, we too say, "Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth." Our Christian faith strengthens our hope that we can build a better country by the power of the Almighty, who has blessed us with such a wonderful land of wonderful people. We commend our country and its people into his hands through the maternal intercession of Mary, Mother of God and Queen of Nigeria.
This item 7666 digitally provided courtesy of CatholicCulture.org
