By Chidi Nkwopara, Owerri
Imo State Government says that despite concerted efforts of security agencies to restore peace in the state, it took some divine intervention to secure and protect the state from evil machinations of detractors.
Governor Hope Uzodimma stated this while addressing members of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, CBCN, yesterday, in Orlu.
He said: “I must confess that I am particularly pleased that you chose Orlu as the venue of this year’s conference. Some of you must have heard so many stories about the security situation in Imo state and Orlu, in particular.
“I am glad that you have come here and you have seen things for yourselves, and you can now attest to the fact that normalcy has been restored in Orlu. I now leave you to judge for yourselves what the true situation of things is.
“In spite of the efforts of our security agencies to restore peace in the state, I know for a fact that it took some Divine intervention to secure and protect our state from the evil machinations of our detractors.
“Let me reiterate that anytime the Catholic Bishops of Nigeria meet, the nation waits with bated breath because your resolutions are always logical, rational and audacious. To your credit, your resolutions are usually widely circulated and well-received, and would continue to resonate in many quarters for weeks and months to come.
“Thus, one can rightly say that since 1958, when this body was formed, it has become the conscience of the nation, speaking truth to power and seeking peaceful resolutions to thorny issues. The evidence on ground therefore suggests that this body will continue to act as a moral compass in the affairs of Nigeria.”
He reminded the Bishops that “when we talk about corrupt and ineffective leadership in the land, church leaders should not delude themselves that they are excluded”, adding that it was why the church must remain on a moral high ground to be able to preach on effective and honest leadership for the temporal authority.
“It goes without saying, therefore, that this all important body can only continue to effectively discharge that sacred duty of serving as a moral compass for the nation if it refuses to be encumbered by internal contradictions and outright partisanship”, Uzodimma said.
While saying that it was not right for some clerics to convert God’s house and the pulpit to the soap box for campaigns, for their preferred candidates or parties in an election season or anytime in the election cycle, the Governor however pointed out that sadly, this has become the norm in many churches.
Uzodimma said: “My worry is that if the church drags itself into partisan politics, then it would have lost its moral authority to pontificate because it has made itself an interested party.
“Indeed, the church cannot be in the moral pedestal to preach against certain conducts of the society, if it has not gone through purification by purging itself of those who are diminishing its authority. I believe that true sanctification can only come when the church presents itself as a living testament of good, impartial and temperate conduct. It is my sincere hope that one of your resolutions from this conference will be to condemn members of the clergy who use their positions and the church for political ends.
“In the same vein, some priests under your watch have through inciting sermons also taken it upon themselves to inflame passions, instead of abating them. In addition, I have noticed with dismay that some members of the clergy have also become open canvassers for separatism and secession.
“Sadly, they also use the sacred pulpit to do this. This should not be the case. The need for the church to remain on high moral standards includes abstaining from fiery comments that seem to highlight and promote our differences rather than on the things that unite us. “This conference is holding today because Nigeria, though beset by insecurity in some parts, is not in a state of war. No matter the imperfections of our republic and democracy, we are still better off in a united country. To the glory of God, we have an increasing number of political leaders who are committed to addressing these imperfections, especially as it concerns equity and justice, so we can build the perfect nation we all desire. And I can assure you that it is only a matter of time before this is achieved.
“On their part, Church leaders should continue to promote the unity of the country and not its division. I wholly understand that priests have the right and duty to hold our leaders and governments accountable, and nobody will ever stop a priest from condemning the ills in the society, including bad governance and corruption. My position should not be misinterpreted as an attempt to rob them of this moral authority which they have enjoyed since the beginning of time.
“It is important that you reaffirm the church’s neutrality on political matters and, thereafter, caution the priests not to dabble into partisan politics. Above all, they should also desist from fanning the embers of disunity in the country.”
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