On Sunday, the President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), Most Rev. Lucius Ugorji, urged the Federal Government to reconsider the new cash policy in order to alleviate the difficulties it has created for Nigerians.
At the opening of the 2023 First Plenary of the CBCN, which was held at the Catholic Secretariat in Abuja, Ugorji made the appeal.
The meeting’s topic is the Participation of Nigerian citizens in good governance.
Ugorji said that the policy had led to a serious cash crunch, anger, and frustration among Nigerians, despite his sadness over the situation.
The precarious situation is made worse by the national economy’s collapse. The cost of essential goods, such as food, continues to rise while the value of the Naira continues to fall, putting a serious strain on the lives and livelihoods of our people.
He stated, “The ordeal, anger, and frustration of the masses have been added to by the disastrous implementation of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) cash swap policy, which resulted in a cash crunch.”
Before the general elections, the president of the CBCN advised politicians to stop using slander, bitterness, arson, buying and selling votes, threats, intimidation, and violence.
Ugorji stated that candidates for political offices should concentrate on marketing their manifestos rather than wasting energy on negativity.
He also told the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the security agencies to be honest and make sure the election was perfect.
If everything goes according to plan, the elections could be a turning point in our political and economic history.
He continued, “We, therefore, urge all to play their roles responsibly and maturely during the period of the general elections.”
He stated that elections should never be viewed as a “do or die” situation.
He cautioned, “Any candidate who is willing to shed blood or spend a lot of money to buy votes or compromise INEC shows that he or she is seeking political office for pure self-aggrandizement.”
He emphasized to the faithful that voting is their civic and moral duty during elections.