Archbishop Ugorji Advocates For Equitable Distribution Of Nation’s Wealth, Credible Electoral Process

The President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, CBCN, Most Rev. Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji, has tasked Government on the need to “address the lingering inequitable distribution of the nation’s wealth and the persistent faulty electoral process, if our collective quest to positively progress, will be realized.”

Archbishop Ugorji canvassed this yesterday, when he paid a pastoral visit to St. Mary’s Catholic Parish, Iho Dimeze, Ikeduru local council area of Imo State.

His words: “The 2020 World Bank Report is a pointer to the suffering in our land. According to the report, only one percent of the 80 percent of the nation’s oil sold, get to the masses.

“The bulk of this revenue is sadly cornered by to those in power, their cronies and relations, while the rest of us sulk in abject penury. This is why we now have unknown gunmen, Fulani herdsmen, kidnappers, festering agitation from different parts of the country.

“The problem of inequitable distribution of the nation’s resources remains palpable and until our government finds a way out of the quagmire, we may never move forward.”

Taking a critical look at Nigeria’s democratic environment, Archbishop Ugorji said: “Good governance begins with credible, free and fair elections. Sadly, we have never had a happy story to tell about elections in Nigeria.

“Nigerian citizens know those that can effectively manage the nation’s resources but the sad thing is that a select few, transformed themselves into a cabal and have continued to unilaterally decided who should run the nation’s affairs.

“The management of the Independent National Electoral Commission, here, treated the people to what we can call, the more you look, the less you see. There were lots of irregularities in the last election. We are yet to get over the problems arising from the illicit happenings in the last general election.

“We are still waiting for the decisions of the judges charged with the responsibilities of adjudicating over the election matters brought before them. These judges should see the challenge before them as crucial and divine. They cannot afford the luxury of disappointing Nigeria and Nigerians, in the discharge of their current national assignment.”

While calling for what he tagged “a more purposeful electoral reform in Nigeria”, Archbishop Ugorji said: “We are looking forward to when people’s vote must count. We are also looking forward to a reform which will ensure that a victor in all electoral contest, must truly emerge before being sworn-in.”