By Rachel Kogi
As the outcry against hardship and insecurity in Nigeria heightens, the newly elected President of the Catholic Laity Council of Nigeria (CLCN), Hon. Sir Henry H. Yunkwap KSJI, JP has called on the Nigerian government to render account to the people either through ‘town hall meetings, budget tracking’ or any other legal means, while providing good governance.
The President made this call in an address at the 147th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Oke Ado, Ibadan, Oyo State from February 25 to 27, 2022. He stated that “it is the statutory duty of government to protect lives and property of her citizens, create employment, and provide basic social and infrastructural amenities among others,” as such, government should be accountable to the people.
Sir Yunkwap decried the alarming rate of insecurity, insurgence, banditry and cultism in Nigeria, which has led to wanton destruction of lives and property, kidnapping and untimely death of many innocent citizens including priests and other lay faithful, burning down of Church buildings, schools and homes and rendering of many indigenes homeless. He said, “farmers are no longer safe on their farms; soldiers are attacked and killed in their numbers, unknown gunmen now emerge unsuspectingly, kill and destroy many innocent persons; cultism and cult rivalry even in our local communities and schools is disturbing.”
Additionally, the laity head noted that “insurgents and bandits deploy more sophisticated weapons than what the security operatives use to defend the country. The capacity of our Armed Forces to defend us is jeopardized and seriously compromised.” He therefore called on all Nigerians “to change our mindset and be more vigilant, develop higher sense of security consciousness to protect ourselves, our priests, our Church buildings and other facilities.”
The President went on to urge all Catholics to take interest in politics by getting registered and going out to vote or be voted for, because their vote is their power. He said, “We can only change the system from within. Let us take advantage of our number and be willing to support one another in political offices. We must take the back seat no longer but stand up and be elected to serve.”
He commended President Muhammadu Buhari for assenting to the Electoral Act Amendment Bill and urged the government to implement the Act strictly to give direction to the Nigerian electoral process.
He further appreciated the Holy Father, Pope Francis for appointing His Grace, Archbishop Fortunatus Nwachukwu, a priest of the Catholic Diocese of Aba, as Permanent Representative to the United Nations. He observed that “this appointment builds faith in the Nigerian Church and restores self-confidence in our capacity to contribute to the development of the Universal Church.”
While pledging the support and unflinching loyalty of the laity to the Shepherds of the Church, to obey the orders and directives and work strictly in accordance with the teachings of the Church and its Magisterium, he urged all the laity to witness for Christ by carrying the Gospel message to the ends of the earth by their words and actions. He expressed the resolve of the Council to donate the sum of N100, 000 (One Hundred Thousand) Naira only to any diocese that hosts NEC Meeting going forward, as a humble support for training of a Seminarian.