Ahead of the 2015 general elections, Catholic bishops in the country have called on politicians and political parties to exercise restraint and chart a new course devoid of rancour and violence.
The bishops, who met in Oyun, Kwara State, between August 4 and 5, said in a communique signed by Most Rev. Felix Alaba Job and Most Rev. Felix Ajakaye, president and secretary respectively, that with such resolve, Nigeria could overcome most of the crises threatening its corporate existence.
The bishops, who met under the aegis of the Catholic bishops of Ibadan Ecclesiastical Province, comprising Ibadan, Ondo, Ekiti, Ilorin, Osogbo and Oyo dioceses, also congratulated Muslims on the successful completion of the Ramadan period and called on them to continue to pray for the country to be able to overcome its challenges.
While appreciating the Federal Government’s efforts in the area of curbing insecurity, the bishops, however, noted that there were still violence and needless bloodshed in some parts of the country.
“We urge the authorities to continue to do all that is necessary to bring enduring normalcy to those areas. We thank those who on a daily basis risk their lives to protect Nigerian citizens from harm and violence and we pray for the repose of the souls of those who have lost their lives in the course of their legitimate duties. We once more plead with the Federal Government to ensure the compensation of all deserving security officers and victims of the disturbances and disasters which have occurred in the country,” the communique stated.
The bishops further regretted that minors in the country were victims of child trafficking, prostitution and other abuses, adding that rather than aggravating it, the National Assembly and all Nigerians should strive to protect the dignity and rights of minors as enshrined in the nation’s constitution and other statutes the country is a signatory to.
The Catholic bishops also pleaded with families to respect the sanctity of marriage as a way of fostering a cohesive society.
“We reject all attempts to enshrine these tendencies in the Nigerian constitution and we appeal to every Nigerian to protect the traditional values of marriage and family as a way of fostering a cohesive society,” the group said.
The bishops also commiserated with families of the three journalists that lost their lives in an auto crash in Ilesa, Osun State last weekend and prayed for the repose of the souls of the deceased.