The Synod of the Anglican Communion, Calabar Diocese, has called on the Federal Government to reinvent Nigeria’s national value system by promoting nationalism and patriotism.
Speaking at a press conference to announce the commencement of the second session of the 12th Synod of the Diocese, Bishop of Calabar, Right Reverend Nneoyi Egbe, said such action would foster unity across the country.
Professor Egbe lamented the level of degradation in key sectors of the Nigerian economy, warning that challenges in finance, health, and education were pushing the nation towards a state of collapse.
He blamed the situation on utter disregard for established laws, failing institutions, food scarcity, insecurity, infrastructure decay, nepotism, tribalism, and a growing ‘get-rich-quick’ mentality among citizens.
He stressed that both political leaders and citizens must deliberately steer Nigeria back onto the path of socio-economic growth.
“As a nation, we need to destroy what we currently call our constitution and get a proper, national, and true one,” he stated.
The bishop also urged an end to religious and ethnic bias in governance.
“We must drop the surreptitious preference for one religion or tribe over others in the country. This has had untold negative impact on our national security. Every Nigerian should be treated the same way, with no turning the blind eye to some while others enjoy state protection,” he said.
He emphasised the need to reinvent Nigeria’s value system.
“Most importantly, we must reinvent our national value system and kill the so-called Nigerian factor — the ‘get-rich-quick-at-all-cost’ syndrome — and entrench true federalism, where federating units control their resources and make contributions to the centre,” he reiterated.
Professor Egbe further advocated a total overhaul of the judiciary to uphold truth and justice, insisting this was crucial to Nigeria’s recovery.
On electoral reforms, he suggested changes to the process of appointing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) chairman.
“It is very important that we make our electoral body truly independent. The INEC chairman should not be a political appointee, but perhaps emerge from a college made up of religious and traditional leaders from across the nation. Whatever it is, he must not be appointed by the government of the day,” he proposed.
He also advised governments at all levels to discourage ethnicism and nepotism and instead promote nationalism and patriotism by prioritising residence over place of origin.
“Government should also lay emphasis on merit and ability over every other criterion for recruitment of servicemen in all sectors and positions. We need technocrats to run our economy, not politicians,” he advised.
The bishop added, “We are urging the government to strengthen and tighten our borders to allow only people with the required mentality and a progressively productive culture to enter the country.”
PIAK