From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Primate of Anglican Communion Most Reverend Henry Ndukuba has expressed concerns about the state of affairs in Nigeria, stating that the country is fast becoming a failed state having exhibited the characters and signals of one.
Rev Ndukuba challenged Christians, particularly the members of the Anglican Church to rise to the occasion and participate in the political process that would culminate in emergence of new political leaders in 2023.
The Anglican Primate discouraged the culture of sitting on the fence during political processes, and end up lamenting and complaining about the incompetencies or shortcomings of the political leaders.
Rev Ndukuba, in his charge at the 11th Synod of Anglican Diocese of Abuja, on Saturday, with the theme “Bond of peace: the inner structure of the life of the church” said that Nigeria is fast becoming a land flowing with tears and blood because of the reality of terror, devastations, destructions and fear that are evident in the society.
“The troubles that come to the people are like the earthquake which was followed by a tsunami with great destruction of lives and property. The aftermath is only ruins and fear for life. We live in very uncertain times; insecurity and devastations in Nigeria,” he said.
He made reference to report of the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), and the Harvard Kennedy School in the United States, which indicated that Nigeria as a Nation is at a point of no return.
He said the report added that Nigeria has since moved from being a weak state to “a fully failed state”, having manifested all signs of a failed country, including the inability of the government to protect the citizens, large scale violence and festering insurgency and unable to keep its citizens safe and secure.
He warned that Nigeria’s failure as a state comes with negative consequences for peace and security in the West African subregion as well as Europe and the USA.
He, therefore, reawakened the consciousness of Nigerians, particularly Christians on the need to participate in political process ahead of 2023 general elections.
He insisted that politics is not a dirty game as was perceived by some Christians for a very long time, which has been responsible for poor participation of Christians in political and governance system.
“The 2023 general elections is an opportunity for us as citizens to exercise our right to choose our leaders. Politics is a God-give process aimed towards ordering His world and society. Though, some people have hijacked the political processes for their personal agenda, I must state that politics is not dirty as it was perceived by some people in the past,” he said.
“We encourage all citizens to be involved in the political process of our states and Nation. Christians should register in any political party of their choice and be involved in the activities of the party from the ward level to the national. We should be reminded that those who contest for political positions are chosen from the grassroots and ward levels.
“The Anglican Church must be fully mobilized in the political processes throughout the country. Every Anglican member is encouraged to register, obtain and keep a voter’s card as well as your National Identification Number (NIN).”
