“Nigerians need to be very careful not to make mistake of choices that will completely destroy our lives, constitutional rights and survival as a nation,” CCGI
Gwamcee News
Barely a month after the call by Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, for Nigerians not to miss or misuse the opportunity to choose credible leaders that will move the country forward in the coming elections, some church elders have joined the fray in putting forward the defining qualities of the type of leaders to vote for.
Noting that the Nigeria was at a crossroads amidst attendant woes of insecurity, cash crunch and fuel scarcity in the run up to the elections, the concerned elders, who spoke under the umbrella of Civic Consciousness Global Initiative, CCGI, said what the nation needs most now are creative and pragmatic leaders, not politicians that had failed the country in the past.
They therefore submitted that the electorate make wise use of their personal voter cards, PVCs if they desire better future outcomes.
According to Rev. Solomon Adegbolagun, the CCGI chairman, on behalf of the group, “We resolved to address the nation to take caution knowing full well that their life from the election day would be based on the choices they make with their PVCs in exercising their franchise come February 25, by the grace of God.
“This particular voting is very crucial for all citizens of this nation and we should never allow apathy to deny us of making our choice of leadership in the next dispensation.
“Nigerians need to be very careful not to make mistake of choices that will completely destroy our lives, constitutional rights and survival as a nation.”
Outlining the expected leadership criteria, the CCGI told the electorate, particularly the youths, to shun “mischief makers who are canvassing for votes in our churches on the basis of tribal affinity.” According to the church elders, these set of political candidates should be marked as those causing division among the populace, hence avoided with one’s PVC.
“You need to consider how they have fared on the integrity scale, how they fare on justice for all, how they fare on corruption index and freedom of religion.
“You also need to consider their commitment to secularity of the state, consider their obedience to court rulings and provision of security to all in every part of the nation,” they said.
The group further stressed that its counsel was based on the realities the country was facing, and enjoined voters to “watch out for leaders whose body language are suggestive of division of the country to nations of the South or of the North, and deny such, their votes.”
Dr Sunday Makinde, Prelate of Methodist Church of Nigeria, in his contribution urged the government to intervene immediately to ease the suffering of the masses over the attendant fuel crisis and scarcity of cash in the country.
According to him, the 10-day extension given for cash swap was inadequate and appealed to the authorities to consider a longer period of time for the process.
Corroborating on the currency swap policy, Bishop Funso Awe, Anglican Orthodoxy and the National Conscience Party governorship candidate in the 2015 elections, said the government should be sincere and tell Nigerians what they want to achieve with it, considering the needless suffering meted on the masses.
“This morning, on my way here, I stopped by at a bank ATM to withdraw some money. Despite the long queue, we found out much later that the bank officials only deposited N60,000, and their staff instantly withdrew N50,000. Afterwards, there was no more money.”
