2023: Anglican church warns porous borders will threaten credible elections

The communique added that the government should purge security agencies of the county’s enemies that allegedly infiltrated them.

News Agency of Nigeria • October 1, 2022

Most Rev. Henry Ndukuba, Primate of All Nigeria Church (Anglican Communion)

The Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, has urged the federal government to ensure strict border monitoring and control to prevent illegal migrants from interfering in the forthcoming general elections.

The church made the call in a communique signed by its dean, Ali Buba Lamido, and the current primate, Henry Ndukuba, at the end of the meeting of its committee.

“If issues of the country’s borders are not checked, the forthcoming general elections and census may be affected, and the consequences of this could be grave for National Security,” the communique said.

It said the measure was necessary to avoid foreigners being erroneously captured as Nigerians during the elections or the 2023 national census.

“Government should look into motivating and equipping

the law enforcement agencies for efficiency in the discharge of their responsibilities,” it said.

The communique added that the government should purge security agencies of the county’s enemies that allegedly infiltrated them.

It also canvassed for the amendment of sections 214 and 215 of the constitution to give more powers to states in handling security issues.

The church advised the federal government and ASUU to resolve their differences and reopen public universities.

It expressed concern about the state of the economy, including fast-depleting external reserves and double-digit inflation, and called for measures to shore up the economy.

The church called for “urgent and decisive actions” to stem kidnappings and ritual killings in the country, and

make the country liveable.

It said that the ugly trend of vote-buying and selling was ungodly and a cheap way to exploit the conscience of the poor.

The communique disagreed with the water sector reform bill before the National Assembly, saying it should be stepped down.

The church, however, commended the federal government and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the recent improvements in the electoral process and called for its sustenance.

It resolved not to compromise its position on the true doctrine of Christianity, especially on human sexuality.

(NAN)

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