The Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) has called on government at all levels to
ensure that religious practice in Nigeria fosters unity rather than division.
The President of CBCN, Most Reverend Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji, made the call on Friday in Abuja.
Iwejuru who is also the Archbishop of Owerri spoke when he led a delegation of 20 Bishops from across the country to visit President Bola Tinubu at Aso Rock.
The Bishops called for a well-defined vision of religion as a force for moral integrity and patriotic unity without necessarily impinging on individuals’ fundamental rights.
The President of CBCN also urged government to completely hands-off pilgrimage sponsorship to curtail waste and corruption.
“The government should allow religious groups to take full responsibility for organising pilgrimages.
“In their current structure, the national and state pilgrims’ boards serve neither their adherents nor the broader interest of the nation.
“You’re undoubtedly aware of the instances of corruption that have led to the removal of some board executives to ensure greater efficiency and accountability.
“We would propose that public funds be redirected towards pressing national needs,” the CBCN President said.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Idris Mohammed, who was also at the event, recalled his attendance at the Charismatic Bishop Conference in 2024, emphasising the need for the nation to remain together, to be united, to be focused, and to maintain support for the government, even in the face of temporary hardship.
“It is no news that in any reform that happens in all parts of the world, temporary hardships are usually experienced.
“And we’re happy to note that today, not only does the federal government have more money to spend to bring about the kind of promises that the President made at the very beginning, but also to ensure that the future, according to the President, as he always says, the future of our children and the children yet unborn, will not be frittered away.”
Mohammed said security had greatly improved in the nation.
He said : “In 2023, I know how difficult it was to move from Abuja to Kaduna; it is almost impossible just to take your car, fuel it, and begin to go on that road.
“Today, this is not the case. We know that farmers used to find it extremely difficult to go to the farms.
“We know that this has not completely gone away, but it is a reality that today, no one asks questions to move from Abuja to Kaduna or any part of the North.”
He said the national value charter that the President championed in his 2025 New Year message will soon be launched to ensure that Nigerians come together to reclaim our lost values.
He added that the National Orientation Agency is working to ensure that both religions teach the Bible and the Quran in our schools and the return of civic education.
The National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, also attended the event. (vitalnewsngr.com)
