Reflect Ethnic, Religious Differences In Your Appointments, Catholic Bishops Tell Buhari

Posted by Nwa Diokpa Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria Saturday, March 12th, 2022

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria has stated that the “ethno-religious favoritism” on display in federal government appointments must be curbed so that development can come into the country.
The cleric, in a communique issued by Most Rev. Augustine Obiora Akubeze, stated that it will take equity in politics and developmental strides for every part of the Nigerian project to have a positive transformation.
“We, therefore, call on governments at all levels to respect and protect people’s fundamental rights and shun all forms of ethno-religious favoritism. We also urge political office holders to embrace a better kind of politics by proper application of the principles of equity and subsidiarity for programmes of development; and by ‘promoting an economy that favours productive diversity for job creation’ in the interest of respect for human dignity (FT 168 & 175). We encourage all citizens to participate in the forthcoming national population census exercise to help Government have the data needed for proper policies that will aid development,” the communique partly read on Thursday after its first plenary for the year 2022.
The bishops also kicked against lopsided appointments to public service institutions in the country stressing that the appointments doesn’t reflect the ethnic and geographic diversities of the nation.
Also, it called on the federal government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, to quickly settle their differences so that lecturers can resume lecturing.
“In our nation today, we observe that there is no evident fairness in the distribution of social amenities or in making appointments to offices despite the Federal Character principle enshrined in the Constitution. There is also no functional, stable, qualitative and affordable educational system that should be the bedrock of development.
“Currently, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is on strike with the consequent closure of our public universities, thereby leaving our young people roaming the streets. We urge the Federal Government to quickly and permanently settle the dispute in the interest of human and national growth,” the cleric added.