By Arnold Neliba
IBADAN, SEPTEMBER 24, 2021 (CISA)-Bishop Emmanuel Badejo of the Catholic Diocese of Oyo has analogized the happenings in Nigeria to an aeroplane on “autopilot” and “that it even often seems to be running without a pilot.”
In his address to the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), a consortium of different Christian bodies, during their September 22 meeting in Ibadan, he said the country seems like an airplane piloted by complete neophytes or even demons.
“We are in dangerous waters because of inept leadership, unfair application of or lack of the rule of law, nepotism and the unjust allocation of resources and privileges. Perhaps we simply should add that if we had any doubts a few years ago those doubts have now evaporated over the fact that a part of this country is being favoured and a certain group of people is being favoured or even aided by those in power to appropriate the rights of the rest,” he said.
Bishop Badejo is worried on how Christians are shortchanged, however, he observes that different groups are also suffering and desire to opt-out of a contraption that is ineffective.
“Minorities suffer, professionals groan and youths moan, businessmen cry, and we can count on and on. Perhaps the most rampant point of public discourse in Nigeria today is whether to break Nigeria up or to keep it as one,” the Bishop examined.
The prelate challenged clerics to work towards defending and protecting the rights and welfare of Christians and Christianity in the country.
“It is my opinion that if CAN is ever to effectively play this role and act as a vanguard of the spiritual and moral welfare of this nation, it must consciously determine with what tools and strategies to do the job,” said the Bishop of Oyo.
Bishop Emmanuel Badejo appealed to CAN, to reconstitute itself into a platform for forming future politicians with Christian values that can transform society and the politics of the nation.
