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Nigeria’s Catholic Politicians, Business Leaders Pledge to Fully Address Bishops’ Concerns

Some members of Catholic Politicians and Captains of Industry Forum (CPCIF). Credit: Courtesy Photo

By Silas Isenjia

Abuja, 23 September, 2021 / 3:00 pm (ACI Africa).

Politicians and business persons in Nigeria who are members of the Catholic Politicians and Captains of Industry Forum (CPCIF) have, in a collective statement, promised to see to it that insecurity concerns raised by Catholic Bishops last month are “fully” addressed.

In a communiqué following their nine-day second Plenary Meeting that concluded August 27, members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) expressed concerns over the rise in cases of abductions, killings, and property destruction in Nigeria.

“Regrettably, except for the civil war, our nation has never witnessed the kind of widespread evil, wanton destruction and murderous bloodletting,” Catholic Bishops in the West African nation said in their collective statement, and added, “Deaths in the hands of kidnappers, killer herdsmen, bandits, terrorist groups have made Nigeria one of the most terrorized countries in the world.”

In a communiqué published Tuesday, September 21, politicians and business persons in Nigeria under the CPCIF say they agree with the conclusions CBCN members made concerning insecurity in the August 27 statement.

“We agree with these conclusions and believe that it is our duty to educate ourselves, other people, and the business community, that it is our responsibility to ensure that these are fully implemented,” CPCIF representatives say.

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They add, “We have committed ourselves to building networks and galvanizing resources to generate the thinking to address these issues and ensure their implementation through the coalition of Catholic politicians and business leaders.”

In the statement signed by eight CPCIF officials, representatives of the Catholic politicians and business persons further say, “Nigeria faces many challenges, but we are optimistically committed to the common good of all, recognizing that ethical values drive human progress.”

The political and business leaders further say that they “are hopeful that we possess the abilities to engineer ways and means to help leapfrog the society out of these problems.”

“Our commitment is to actions and not words, and we want to see the impacts of these commitments in political and economic issues to arrest our country’s drift into anarchy and chaos,” CPCIF representatives say following their meeting with members of other Church organizations including the Knights and Ladies of St Mulumba, Catholic Youths Organization of Nigeria, Catholic Women Organization, and Catholic Action Nigeria, among others. 

The Nigerian Catholic political and business leaders explain, “We believe that business and politics exist to create values that elevate society and advance human progress. Politics organizes the society to achieve progress while business transforms material opportunities to create value and wealth to cater for the needs of citizens.”

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They also emphasize the need for Catholics to become aware of the social doctrines of the Church, and their value to “social interactions” as highlighted in Pope Leo XIII’s Encyclical Letter, Rerum Novarum.

“The pursuit of the common good also implies that we focus on getting people both Catholic and non-Catholic to learn from the wisdom contained in the social doctrines of the Catholic Church which throws light on human social interactions,” CPCIF representatives say in their collective statement.

They add, “Now that we are in the 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR), there are peculiarities of the information age that politics and businesses need to pay particular attention to, which this body will help to facilitate and promote entrepreneurs that will address the social needs of these radically challenging times.”

Silas Isenjia

Silas Mwale Isenjia is a Kenyan journalist with a great zeal and interest for Catholic Church related communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Linguistics, Media and Communication from Moi University in Kenya. Silas has vast experience in the Media production industry. He currently works as a Journalist for ACI Africa.

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