Fifty Eight years after Independence, Nigeria is still in the doldrums as she is still battling to be a nation, says the Ibadan Diocese of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion).
In a communique issued and signed by the Most Rev’d Joseph Akinfenwa at the end of its second session of the 22nd Synod of the Diocese held at St David Anglican Church Ijokodo in Ibadan, the church noted that at every crossroad of the nation’s problems,”we resort to and defend our sectarian interests, no wonder our national patrimony is so parlous and derelict ”
Bluntly put, the communique states, “there is tension everywhere because of too much divergent opinions to issues as we don’t want the same thing, as what a section wants is inimical to to the interest of another section and nobody is ready to shift ground for the other”
The Synod regrets that “there is no justice in the land and it is difficult to preach righteousness – reasons why people now resort to self-help when they cannot get redress by just means”.
The Synod sees a nation with brutalized economy and solution cannot be achieved by trading blames as such keeps worsening the situation by keeping exchanging blame words.
Nigeria, according to the communique, can start becoming a nation when the yearnings of component or federating units are addressed rather than suppressed.
On 2019 elections, the synod calls for prayers for peace in the burned-up to the polls, counsels the politicians to eschew violence and brigandage and that they should approach the elections with the spirit of sportsmanship.
On the issue of restructuring, the synod wants a return to the 1963 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and calling for each federating unit to consolidate “on their comparative advantage to generate funds for self sufficiency.”
The synod therefore seeks for a revisit of 2014 Confab Reports and implementation of same and wishes for God fearing leadership to actualize the Nigerian project.