The CBCN President who spoke on behalf of the Catholic Bishops, also lamented the recent kidnappings of Catholic medical students in Otukpo, Benue State, and at the Universities of Jos and Maiduguri.
Benin City – The Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) has called for a return to regional government, arguing that 25 years under the presidential system has not benefited the country.
The bishops made this appeal at the opening ceremony of the 2nd CBCN Plenary Meeting in Auchi, Edo State.
In his welcome address, Archbishop Lucius Ugorji, President of the CBCN, expressed concerns over the alarming rate of corruption in Nigeria, the country’s escalating debt burden, and the widespread hunger afflicting the nation.
He criticized the current governance structure, highlighting that the centralized control of national resources at the federal level fosters corruption and inefficiency.
Archbishop Ugorji suggested that it might be time for Nigeria to return to the regional system of government, as envisioned by the country’s founding fathers, or at least to devolve power to the existing six geo-political zones. He argued that the current system, which was imposed by the military, is both costly and unsustainable.
Drawing parallels between President Bola Tinubu’s current economic reforms and the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) of General Ibrahim Babangida, Ugorji cautioned that similar measures in the past had led to economic and social upheaval. He urged the Tinubu administration to be open to insights from respected Nigerians and to reconsider its economic policies.
The CBCN President who spoke on behalf of the Catholic Bishops, also lamented the recent kidnappings of Catholic medical students in Otukpo, Benue State, and at the Universities of Jos and Maiduguri.
Additionally, he condemned the killings that occurred during the #EndBadGovernance protests, acknowledging that while the protests had turned violent, citizens should not be denied their constitutional right to protest.
Archbishop Ugorji emphasized that Nigeria’s socio-economic challenges cannot be resolved by economic reforms alone. He called for immediate and proactive measures to address the nation’s rising debt, multiple taxation, hunger, and insecurity, warning that failure to do so could lead to a major crisis.
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