2023: Kaigama Sends Crucial Message To Tinubu, Atiku, Obi, Others

The Catholic Archbishop of Abuja Diocese, Most Rev. Ignatius Kaigama has warned the 2023 presidential candidates against deceiving Nigerians with unrealistic campaign promises.

In his New Message in Abuja on Saturday, Kaigama asked the flagbearers to campaign without hatred, bitterness, incitement, or misinformation ahead of the 2023 elections.

The cleric expressed hope that peace, social progress, human solidarity and development will characterize all of 2023.

He also tabled agenda for them including the resettlement of Internally Displaced Persons, rebuilding of terrorised communities ,and confronting the security challenges as the country squares up for the election in 2023.

He said, “Our prayer during this year is that peace will flow like a river and social progress, human solidarity and development will characterize all of 2023. Politicians who are on the campaign trail now should do so without hatred, bitterness, incitement or misinformation. They should exercise caution that they do not make wild and unrealistic campaign promises that deep in their hearts they know are not workable.

“Christians, Muslims, African traditional religionists and others are the ones to choose the next President of Nigeria. We should set our eyes and attention only on the leaders who are ready to tackle the culture of hostility, violence, banditry, kidnapping, religious persecution, poverty, and unemployment; failure to see that sensitive and core appointments be spread fairly to those very well qualified in the different geo-political zones.

“The determination to confront insecurity must be given priority in the agenda of those seeking to be elected. They must have the will to unveil those behind brutal attacks and murders such as killers of the no fewer than 38 people killed in separate attacks in Malagum 1 and Sokwong villages of Kagoro Chiefdom in Kaura Local Government Area of Kaduna State or as in Zamfara State, where recently scores of people and some Nigerian Army personnel were feared killed following an ambush by armed terrorists or the killing of a Lagos-based legal practitioner, Omobolanle Raheem, by a police trigger-happy police officer.

“The resettlement of internally displaced persons as well as the rebuilding of terrorized communities where homes, hospitals, churches, mosques and schools have been destroyed should also get prime attention. There must be a deliberate pursuit of integration, bringing all people together in harmony that ensures freedom for all to create an inclusive mindset by recognizing the ethnic, tribal, regional and religious diversity of our nation.

“There must be proper management of our diversity and plurality; building community, creating more trust among all people in Nigeria. There is a very urgent need to address the issue of poverty whereby according to official statistics, 133 million Nigerians out of an estimated 206 million live below the poverty line.” 

Kaigama prayed that Nigerians’ expectations and that of the country will be met, adding that Nigeria will experience peace and stability in 2023.

He added: “With gratitude to God and confident optimism we pray that in the year 2023, our expectations as individuals and as a nation will be met. This poem I heard from a little child is apt as we ride into the New Year: “In happy moments praise God, in difficult moments seek God, in quiet moments worship God, in painful moments trust God and in every moment thank God.

“While we believe that our loving God will do things for us, we need however to do our part with great zeal and determination, the type demonstrated during the FIFA World Cup recently concluded in Qatar. The members of the teams gave their all, especially in the finals. After a full game and extra time, they went into penalty shootouts. In the end, one team won the cup and the other took the second position. In life, sometimes we win and sometimes we lose. The capacity to carry on with equanimity and to cope positively even when we come face to face with frustrations, failures or disappointments is needed. 

“Failure is not necessarily a bad thing, it is a challenge to try again and to keep applying ourselves until victory is achieved. We have experienced God’s generosity in very practical ways in 2022. We have survived an ever-worsening climate of fear and uncertainty in a time when the helplessness of government saw non-state actors unconscionably stake a claim for our lives, our property and our freedoms.

“We have lived with and survived a culture of kidnapping, hostage-taking and mindless murder. It is still not yet over though as the drama still plays on. The Kaduna deadly train attack in March and the agonizing months the abducted passengers spent in the hands of armed men left us all traumatised. The daring Kuje prison attack by Boko Haram and precipitated secessionist rallies left all of us begging for answers.“