Communiqué issued by the Catholic Bishops of Owerri Ecclesiastical province

                                            AVERTING THE GATHERING STORM

Communiqué issued by the catholic Bishops of the owerri Ecclesiastical Province 10 August 2022._ 

 

 PREAMBLE 

We, the Catholic Bishops of the Owerri Ecclesiastical Province, met at the Domus Sancti Augustini, Aba, from Tuesday 9 – Wednesday 10 August, 2022. Having prayerfully deliberated on many issues of great concern to our people, we issue the following Communiqué.

 

SUFFERING IN THE LAND

  1: Great misery and pessimism have enveloped our country Nigeria. To put it mildly, there is great suffering in the land, as people run from one crisis to another. Our people are becoming more indigent day by day, with growing unemployment, underemployment and inflation, which have made basic commodities unreachable to many families. This is a great shame to such a naturally endowed country like Nigeria. All these problems are man-made. We have often in the past decried the rampant corruption, greed and selfishness that are ravaging our society, which have sentenced many of our people to wanton suffering and early death. We must, once more, renew our call to those in charge of our commonwealth, to all privileged people of our society – whether in trade, industry, or government – to be more compassionate and considerate to our poor suffering masses. We also call on all to rediscover our traditional communal and philanthropic spirit, to help alleviate the pains of our suffering brothers and sisters. 

 INSECURITY IN OUR PROVINCE - IMO AND ABIA STATE

2: Our society is in trouble. No one appears to be safe; not even those in power. Violent groups are on the rampage – bandits, kidnappers, assassins, trigger-happy security forces, illegal security entities and paramilitary groups. Innocent lives are being lost. There is great fear and anxiety in our states, along with socio-economic dislocations. We cannot continue in this path. Our society has bled so much. No doubt we know that there are those who are driven to violence by understandable grievances. Yet violence can never be a solution to our current socio-political problems. We cannot destroy ourselves in the name of saving ourselves. We re-iterate that the reason for government is to protect lives and property of the citizens. There have been repeated reports from many places of exaggerated use of force by government security agencies, and at times summary execution of alleged offenders. We therefore appeal to all those behind this cycle of violence to stop. Our society should be governed by the rule of law, and not by jungle justice. Offenders should be prosecuted in the Courts to ensure justice to all. We must also insist that there is no substitute to good governance for security at all levels. Therefore, government should provide our young people an environment for positive human development and material well-being. We use this opportunity to condole with the grieving families of security personnel who are killed in the line of duty; our hearts bleed for all the victims of violence and callous killing in our states today – especially the recent killings in Orogwe, Awomamma, Izombe, Ihube, Leru, Isuochi and other places. We pray that God grant the dead eternal repose and consolation to the bereaved. 

 THE FATE OF EDUCATION AND THE FUTURE OF OUR STUDENTS

3: We decry the lamentable state of affairs in our educational sector. For months now academic activities in our public universities and other tertiary institutions have been grounded as a result of the strike actions embarked upon by the various unions (ASUU and others). It is a pity that the educational sector has become a theater of neglect and indifference, symptomatic of the generalized decay and negligence which have affected all aspects of our national life. Countries normally invest in their young people and prioritize knowledge and human capacity development. But not so in Nigeria. There is no doubt that the current situation is adversely affecting the students who waste away in idleness and are exposed to destructive social vices. This brings our attention to the regrettable events in Abia State Polytechnic leading to its de-accreditation – an institution that for long has been the pride of the state. We call on all the stakeholders in the educational sector, in particular the government and the various unions of tertiary institutions, to rise to the challenges of leadership. We appeal to their sense of patriotism and moral sensitivity. Both sides must be realistic in their negotiations and be ready for making the necessary compromises. With regard to the accreditation problem in Abia Polytechnic, we appeal to the Abia State Government, the Management of Abia State Polytechnic and the Regulatory Body, to take adequate steps to ensure that the institution regains her accreditation for all the courses offered in it, without compromising standards. 

  THE CURRENT ELECTORAL PROCESS

4: The advantage of democracy over other systems of government is principally its capacity for peaceful transfer of power through periodic elections. This empowers the citizens of the nation to have their say in governance and to reward or punish leaders over their performances. This is the meaning of Peoples’ power. We want to remind our fellow citizens to think seriously on how to use their votes, either to change their fortunes for the better, or sentence themselves to more years of even greater suffering and regret. The 2023 election has already started with the Voter Registration exercise. We urge those who have yet to collect their Permanent Voters’ Card (PVC) to endeavor to do so. It is heartening to note that the President has promised Nigerians free-and-fair General Elections. The National Assembly has also carried out important reforms to the Electoral Act. It is now left for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and political actors to exercise their patriotic responsibility with honesty for the good of the Nigerian nation. The INEC must indeed not fail the nation this time. We also call on all civil society groups, religious bodies, activists, cultural groups and the mass media, to engage in intensive mobilization and conscientization of the people. The forthcoming General Elections should offer us a golden opportunity to change things for a new beginning. This will require us to exercise our civic obligations with a sense of responsibility.

 

 THe CHURCH IN OUR ECCLESIASTICAL PROVINCE

 5:We continue to thank God Almighty for his immense graces and riches through his Son our Lord Jesus, who called us into his ministry of Redemption in his church. We note with gratitude the great milestone which occurred in our Province recently with the appointment and installation of Most Rev. Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji, as the Second Metropolitan Archbishop of Owerri, after 32 years of commendable pastoral ministry as the Bishop of the Diocese of Umuahia. We equally look forward to the Pallium investiture of the new Archbishop on the Thursday 11 August, 2022, a day in which all the Dioceses in Owerri Province will gather as a sign of communion, collaboration and solidarity in the work of evangelization under the See of Peter. We commend His Grace to God’s protection and care and assure him of our solidarity and cooperation. We must say a big Thank You to the Archbishop Emeritus of Owerri, Most Rev. Anthony J. V. Obinna, for his inspirational stewardship in the Lord’s vineyard for the past 50 years as a priest and the last 28 years as Metropolitan Archbishop of Owerri Ecclesiastical Province. We wish him a joyful, peaceful and healthy retirement. We also congratulate His Lordship, Most Rev. Michael Kalu Ukpong, on his election as Administrator of Umuahia diocese and wish him God’s strength and guidance. 

 

 Conclusion:

Appeal for Prayer and Vigilance6. Amidst our seemingly hopeless situation, we still believe and trust in God’s redemptive intervention in our lives. We therefore urge all to pray earnestly for our states and country. While we commit our situation to God’s providential care, we appeal to all to remain vigilant as we recall the Lord’s admonition to us: Watch and Pray! (Mark 13:33). May Mary the Patroness of our nation and province and the mother of the afflicted, continue to intercede for us. Amen.

 

                                                      Signed:

 

Most Rev. Lucius I. Ugorji                                                           Most Rev. Augustine N. Echema