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encourage the people to do the se there were some certain government officials and
right thing, then you are on the
right track because the gospel
has to be preached, as St. Paul
would tell us, at all times - both
in season and out of season. We
have the duty to rebuke, to
educate, to correct wrongs, to
prick the conscience of the
people and sting them towards
right conduct. We equally have
the duty to challenge the
powers that be as long as they
are not ready to take correction
MOST
or turn over a new leave but are
bent on sustaining the corrupt
and unjust system or structure
they have created in order to
perpetuate themselves in
power.
In spite of that, if you observed
REV. DR
the last elections very well, you
would discovered that at other
levels, the people did their best
b e c
au
MARK
MAIGIDA dying at an
NZUKWEIN
politicians who could not go back again. Some of the
governors, especially in our region here in the middle belt
who wanted to proceed to the senate could not because the
people voted them out. To some great extent the work that
the Bishops did was not totally in vain. As you already
asserted, it was actually at the federal level, particularly
regarding the presidential election that we had a very
serious challenge. At other levels however, I think the people
did their best. The only unfortunate thing is that the
presidency is the supreme authority in this country and has
overwhelming power that can determine a lot of things
which can even affect the other tiers of government. For the
election itself in general however, what the Bishops as
pastors of the Church did actually paid off because the
people did well and it affected a lot of things at other levels. It
is now left for them to continue their prophetic mission until
they are able to get to the federal level, and once they get
there eventually, it would mean that they have achieved one
hundred percent success. For now, let us say it is around
seventy or eighty percent achievement because if it affected
the other levels, it means that we can do better next time to
be able to get to the top and I believe that it is very possible.
Gadfly: Considering the present extreme difficult living
conditions in Nigeria that seem not to be getting any
better, my Lord, how can Nigerians be encouraged to
cope and hope for the better?
Bishop: The living condition is bad and quite
unprecedented because there is a serious failure in
governance as never experienced before in the history of
democracy in this country. Nigerians are very good at
talking; at articulating their ideas, and as the president of
Gabon would say, at making noise. We are very good in
making noise when we are dealing with the art of
governance but when it comes to the critical matter of the
delivery of the dividends of democracy, I see a lot of
loopholes and a lot of failures. I see also that we are not
making any effort to improve. The essence of governance is
actually the improvement of the life and the welfare of the
people. If however you are in government and the people
are suffering, they are desperate and are
alarming rate, then we need to pause and ask questions. The
way Nigerians are dying these days is quite alarming
because wherever they turn, it would seem they are
confronted with a brick wall as they have no access to
meaningful means of livelihood; they cannot get the basic
meals; they cannot afford the fees of their children, they
cannot afford medical bills or electrical bills and
even decent housing. These are basic necessities
of life but many Nigerians cannot cope with
these today because of the terrible and bad
policies of the present government. They keep
changing and introducing policies that are
anti-people. You remove the fuel subsidy,
you hike the electricity tariff, the price of
diesel continues to skyrocket beyond the