EKPOMA-The Archbishop of Bendel Provice, Anglican Communion, The Most Rev’d Friday Imaekhai has asserted that unless the issue of poverty in Nigeria is tackled headlong, true democracy would continue to elude the nation.
He gave the charge while delivering his address at the 1st Session of the Fifth Synod of Esan Diocese with the theme:” Thy Will Be Done”, at St. Andrew’s Cathedral, Eguare-Ekpoma, Edo State.
Imaekhai reasoned that with 71 per cent of Nigerians living below poverty line, Nigeria’s electoral process cannot produce the best for political offices, as the poor would likely mortgage their conscience for money.
He therefore, challenged those in authority to deepen democracy by reducing poverty and ignorance in the society so that it will be impossible to buy the conscience of the people. This, he said would engender true democracy.
“Another disturbing challenge is that 71 per cent of Nigerians live below the poverty line. The result of this distressed situation is that the poor mortgage their conscience for money” he said.
The religious leader similarly called for greater participation of the elite in Nigeria’s politics, accusing them of not demonstrating enough support for the country’s democratic process.
“one of the challenges in building a true democratic culture in Nigeria is that most of the Nigeria elite have not demonstrated enough support for country’s democratic process, especially in times of turbulence in the polity”
While congratulating the new president of the country, Muhammadu Buhari on his victory at the poll, he tasked him to fulfill his electioneering promises by tackling the myriad of problems bedeviling the nation.
Some of the problems according to him include ethno-religious crisis, insecurity and insurgency, erratic power supply, high cost of governance and endemic corruption, poverty and unemployment, environmental degradation in the Niger-Delta, among others.
