Archbishop Ugorji steps down as CBCN President

From Fred Ezeh, Abuja

Archbishop Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji of the Owerri Catholic Archdiocese has stepped down as President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN).

This follows the expiration of his four-year term, which began on March 9, 2022, when he was elected CBCN President during the first plenary assembly of that year to succeed Archbishop Augustine Obiora Akubeze of the Archdiocese of Benin City.

He is expected to hand over to a new CBCN President who may emerge at the end of the first plenary of the CBCN, which began in Abuja on Sunday.

In his address at the CBCN conference, he thanked his colleague-bishops and other Catholic faithful for the cooperation and support he received during his tenure as their chief servant.

He also used the opportunity to raise concerns regarding the deteriorating state of affairs in Nigeria, as well as the continued weakening of state institutions to serve the interests of a few.

He complained about the rising security challenges in Nigeria, activities of organised criminal elements, illegal mining activities, uncertainties about the new tax law, the 2026 electoral law, among others.

He said: “Our nation is blessed with rich human resources estimated at over 239 million people, many of whom count among the best brains anywhere in the world.

“Nigeria is also blessed with abundant mineral and natural resources. Our soil is very fertile and can produce a variety of crops. We also have a good climate that favours an all-year round production of food. Yet our national wealth does not reach far enough.

“As it pushes the nation forward, many of our fellow citizens are left behind and the gap between the rich and the poor widens. We dismally fall short of our constitutional commitment towards promoting the good government and welfare of all persons in our country on the principles of freedom, equality and justice, and for purpose of consolidating the unity of our people.

“As we reflect over the present state of affairs in our country, we must concede that the root of our afflictions as a nation is largely the problem of poor leadership and the wrong perception of politics among many of our leaders merely as the rigging of elections and stealing of other people’s mandate; the amassing of ill-gotten gains or engaging in other fraudulent deals. Politics that is true to its name has largely to do with ethics.

“Political leadership has the main task of working for the common good. It exists for the common good. This is its full justification and purpose. The common good presupposes respect for the dignity and rights of each individual. It involves the social welfare and development of one and all in the society.

“To achieve the common good, it is the responsibility of the public authority to ensure that the citizens have access to what is needed to lead a truly human life: food, clothing, health, work, education, culture, suitable information, the establishment of a family, etc. The common good also requires peace, stability and security of a just order.”