Catholic Bishops seek cooperation for Buhari

Catholic bishops have called on Nigerians to cooperate with the administration of  President Mohammadu Buhari  to ensure sanity in the polity.

The bishops, under the aegis of Catholic Bishops Conference of Ibadan Ecclesiastical Province, comprising Ibadan Archdiocese, Ondo, Ilorin, Oyo, Ekiti and Osogbo dioceses, urged all Nigerians to be determined to reject corruption, nepotism, favouritism and ensure that “a regime of justice and equity, where merits are respected and the rule of law exalted” are enthroned in the country.

The call was made in a communique issued at the end of the second plenary meeting of the bishops held at the Jubilee Conference Centre, Oke-Ado, Ibadan, Oyo state from August 17-18, 2015.

The communique signed by Most Rev. Gabriel Abegunrin   and Most Rev. Felix Ajakaye, President and Secretary respectively, with the theme “Choose today whom you will serve” was made available to journalists by Bishop Ajakaye in Ado Ekiti on Wednesday.

The communique said, “We note the renewed hope for a new Nigeria generated in our country since the last general elections. We thank Almighty God for the relatively limited violence and bloodshed during the exercise. We call on our compatriots to cooperate with the current administration to bring sanity back into our country by showing common determination to reject corruption, nepotism, favouritism and to enthrone in our country a regime of justice and equity, where merits are respected and the rule of law exalted.”

Noting that the country had been recognised as one of the most religious countries in the world, the bishops said “our prayers can only truly be answered if we do the will of God as He has commanded.”

Restating the Catholic Church’s unmitigated belief in the sanctity of human life and family life, the bishops emphasised the need for the government to ensure that all human life is protected from conception to natural end.

“Society must do everything possible to facilitate the growth of family living as a way of promoting responsible parenthood, good upbringing of children and reducing juvenile delinquency.”

Decrying youth involvement in violence, delinquency and sundry misdemeanour, the bishops challenged Catholic youth to strive to become credible agents of change and apostles of God’s mercy to families, the country and to the world through positive engagement with modern media and a deliberate commitment to good morals and behaviours.