The Vice Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2019 elections, Mr Peter Obi, has urged the bishops, and by extension the leaders of the Church, not to relent or be discouraged in constantly speaking out against the societal ills in the nation which, he said, are getting worse by the day.
Obi gave the advice while addressing journalists after the Opening Mass for 2nd Plenary of Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria held recently at Enugu. He explained that the challenges facing the nation were as a result of bad leadership which has fettered the nation over the years.
Obi lamented that the leadership recruitment process in the country is faulty and has continued to produce political leaders who are not leading the country to the right direction. He appealed to the bishops to join their voices in reminding the people of the need to elect capable leaders who have track records of integrity into office. “The recruitment process through which leaders come into office is far more important than what they do in office,” Obi added.
On the issue of insecurity worsening by the day, Obi urged the government to do more in fighting insecurity while maintaining that building a viable economy will be critical in tackling the menace. He opined that poverty alleviation, jobs creation, and other economic activities are useful tools for combating insecurity.
The former Anambra State Governor also appealed to the bishops and religious leaders to keep speaking out against corruption and abuse of office which, he said, has permeated every part of the country. He maintained that public office holders should always account for funds entrusted to them.
Speaking on Nigeria’s debt profile, Obi said that borrowed funds must be channeled into production and not for consumption. He urged the church leaders in Nigeria to join their voices and speak out more against the ills of the Nigerian society.