TheCable

The Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria has declared 100 percent support for the anti-graft war of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Speaking with journalists after leading 16 bishops to a meeting with the president late Monday, Ignatius Kaigama, president of the conference, ‎described corruption as a cancer that is impeding the growth of the country.

‎”Since 1960, the Catholic bishops have been talking against corruption, telling people to avoid it,” he said.

“It is a cancer, it is dangerous, it is a sickness and it is a social disease. We have assured the president that we are 100 per cent with him in his fight against corruption.

“With corruption, we can’t progress. With corruption, everything goes wrong, immorality takes over, retrogression takes place. So corruption is a huge obstacle that has to be dismantled.”

‎Kaigama expressed happiness with the passion Buhari exuded while speaking on strategies for improving the county better and mobilising all Nigerians to selflessly put in their best.

“We assured the president of our prayers, moral support and our desire to cooperate. In Catholic Church, whether it is education, healthcare or social services, we have done quite a lot over the years,” he said.

“With the willing disposition of the president and his attitude of embracing everyone, we felt we should spell out some areas of closer collaboration.

“We found him a sincere man with great sense of dedication. He wants the best of this nation. We also want the best for this nation.

“He agrees that not everyone is working as he expects. There are some who are clogs in the wheel of progress. We are praying and hoping that such people will see that Nigeria is greater than all of us, that we should develop patriotic disposition and our aspiration should be to put this country first.

“With that, criminalities and other things that are anti-social will give way. We have every hope. We only need to be a little more patient.”

Kaigama said Buhari also explained the difficulties and challenges that his administration was facing.

“‎We understood him fully.  We equally call on Nigerians to give the president a chance. He is sincere, he is dedicated, he is committed and together, we shall make on wonderful progress,” he said.

On the recent attack on John Onaiyekan, Catholic Archbishop of Abuja‎, he said: “It is one of the acts of criminality that we witness in Nigeria. You cannot say who did what. It is criminal.”