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• INEC must regain Nigerians’ confidence through credible elections
From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Kaduna, Rt. Rev. Timothy Yahaya, has accused the National Assembly (NASS) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of failing Nigerians by abandoning their constitutional responsibilities and becoming subservient to the executive arm of government.
Bishop Yahaya made the remarks while addressing journalists during the third session of the 23rd Synod of the Diocese of Kaduna, themed, “Blessed is the One Who Trusts in the Lord.”
Delivering the Synod’s message to Nigerians, the cleric urged citizens to place their trust in God rather than political leaders and institutions, which he said had consistently disappointed the people.
“We had relied on men as leaders, they had failed us. We had relied on people to secure us, they are not securing us. We had relied on certificates; people are unemployed yet they have certificates,” he said.
He lamented the state of the country’s healthcare system, recalling that former military Head of State, Sani Abacha, had described Nigerian hospitals as mere consulting clinics in 1983.
“After Abacha said our hospitals were mere consulting clinics in 1983, they are still mere consulting clinics today. So, I want to refocus Nigerians to believe and trust in God for a better tomorrow. Man can fail, but God can never fail,” he stated.
Turning to the National Assembly, the bishop expressed disappointment at what he described as the lawmakers’ failure to provide effective oversight of the executive.
“Synod is not happy with the National Assembly members. They don’t scrutinise the executive. They have become an appendage of the executive.
“The speed with which billions of dollars of loans are being passed, the way recklessness is being abandoned without due process, is alarming. I’ve never seen where the National Assembly is as good as the Executive. They just play together,” he said
According to him, democracy thrives on separation of powers and checks and balances among the three arms of government.
“Those that made democracy knew why we have the legislature, the executive and the judiciary. There should be separation of powers. Oversight functions, we don’t see them. We don’t understand what is going on,” he added.
The bishop also delivered a strong message to INEC ahead of future elections, insisting that the electoral body must regain the confidence of Nigerians through credible elections.
“Remember Nigerians don’t trust and believe you. You must prove yourself that this time around, it will not be a kangaroo election. We want a free, fair and credible election,” he said.
He warned against any action capable of disenfranchising eligible voters, particularly in the ongoing voter registration exercise.
“People are busy crying all over the place that the continuous voter registration exercise is taking place and your servers or whatever are down. If you disenfranchise Nigerians deliberately, that is not going to go well for you because Nigerians have the right to vote the moment they attain the age that qualifies them to vote,” he said.
The cleric also revisited the controversy surrounding the 2023 general election, criticising the explanation of “technical glitches” offered by INEC.
“Remember the billions of Naira that are given to you. It is not given to you for a flawed election like the election of 2023. Money was spent. If it is not in Nigeria, how can somebody spend that kind of money and tell us technical glitch and nobody is in prison?
“What technical glitch are you talking about? Where is value for money? This time around, Nigerians want credible, fear-free and fair elections,” he noted.
On the growing population of out-of-school children and street children, he described the situation as a looming national crisis.
“Children in the streets are a ticking time bomb. Our leaders should know that when you see people mishandling people and treating them as if they are not fellow human beings, they grow without family values.
“They sleep in the streets, eat in the streets and know everything but family. The highest investment of a country is not its mineral resources; it is the human capital of that country,” he said.
He urged the governments at all levels to urgently address the problem.
“The earlier the governments at the national, state and local government levels begin to strategise on how to solve the problem of out-of-school children and children on the streets, the better our future will be.
“So long as we overlook these children in the streets, there will not be a better tomorrow. They will hate society. They will feel marginalised and dehumanised, and because society did not give them anything, they will want to make life impossible for us.”
The bishop also questioned the Federal Government’s borrowing profile and fiscal policies, expressing concern over rising public debt despite the removal of fuel subsidy.
“The way loans are flying in this country, Synod does not understand. When there was a subsidy, we were borrowing. Now, there is no subsidy, where is the subsidy money going?” he asked.
He suggested that funds saved from subsidy removal should be divided into three parts.
“One part should go into our reserves so our currency can become stronger. Thirty percent should be used to pay loans, while the remainder can be used to run the government.”
Drawing comparisons with past administrations, he said: “In the days of the First Republic, they borrowed money to build Kainji Dam. Kainji Dam is serving us and we can see it. But, these loans we are borrowing today, what are we doing with them? We cannot see it.”
He also criticised what he described as excessive spending on politics ahead of the 2027 elections.
“The number of cars that have been mobilised for the campaign of 2027 is more than 20 times the number of ambulances in this country. Why are we not thinking of Nigeria first? Why are we this selfish?” he queried.
The bishop called on political leaders to put national interest above personal ambition.
“Nigeria is a country worth dying for. We must work assiduously to bury our selfish aims and goals,” he said.
On the humanitarian crisis affecting displaced and vulnerable children, he urged the Federal Government to act with urgency and compassion.
“Small children of two years are dying in the bush and we continue as if nothing has happened. Where is our conscience?
“If you are a father, a mother, a brother or a sister, and it is any of your relatives in that bush, will you continue as if nothing is happening?” he asked.
He appealed to the government to rethink its priorities and demonstrate greater responsiveness to the plight of ordinary Nigerians.
“I want to plead with the government of this country on behalf of Synod that we should rethink what we do about this country,” he said.
He, however, prayed for national peace, responsible leadership and a brighter future.
“It is the Synod’s prayer that Nigeria’s tomorrow will be greater than her yesterday, that God will bring peace in our country and that our leaders will be seen to be responsible and responsive to the citizenry. God bless Nigeria,” he stated.
