New Nigeria is possible – Catholic bishops

2026-02-26 - 12:18

By Chidi Nkwopara Nigerians have been told that a new Nigeria is possible if all citizens retrace their steps and work for the common good. This appeal was part of an eight-point communique issued at the end of the first plenary of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, CBCN, and signed by its President, Most Rev. Lucius Ugorji. Part of the communique read: “A better Nigeria is possible, and we enjoin everyone to contribute to building our nation. “This calls for a change of attitude across board and generous and selfless disposition to serve the common good. We must collectively work for the social transformation of our country, rooted in the common good, and ensure that those who occupy positions of leadership in our land, at both the national and sub-national levels, are people with track records of probity, competence and commitment. “The common good presupposes respect for the dignity and rights of everyone. It involves the social welfare and development of one and all in the society. “All have a role to play in the actualisation of the common good by ensuring that human dignity and rights are respected and protected. This reality opens the door for the participation of all in the realisation of the common good.” The Catholic bishops also shared their minds on the persistent insecurity and loss of precious lives in the country. They said: “We support the move by our President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to declare a national security emergency, ordering the recruitment of more security personnel alongside far-reaching measures. “This has led our military to step up its operations against terrorists in the country. However, our country has continued to experience more security challenges. “We continue to experience tragic events of senseless massacre, mass burials, endless tears, and grief. There are incidents of mass murders in different communities, particularly in Woro and Nuku villages in Kwara State, where over 200 people, both Christians and Muslims, were gruesomely massacred by scores of Islamist jihadists for refusing to embrace fundamentalist Islam. “Most recently, in many parts of the country, particularly in the Northern region and the middle belt, there are cases of attacks and mass killings involving many students, pupils and worshippers. “Again, while many farmers cannot go to their farms for fear of being injured or killed, many other persons are still displaced from their homes and business areas, owing to the activities of insurgents and bandits. In all, the gunmen operate brazenly, freely and unchallenged. “To deal with the problem of insecurity and recognising the need for more proactive measures to secure Nigeria, we call on governments at all levels to invest more in modern technological equipment for surveillance. “We also urge them to strengthen measures for intelligence gathering by security agencies to enable them to proactively perform their duties. “Governments should ensure that culprits involved in insurgency, banditry or kidnapping and those who fund and support their activities are quickly arrested, prosecuted and punished under the law to deter others.”