Anglican Church Urges Tinubu to Investigate INEC, NNPC, and Others

The Anglican Diocese of Enugu has called upon President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to extend the government’s anti-corruption efforts to include the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Ltd, and other government agencies, ministries, and parastatals. This request was made in a communique issued during the third session of the 18th Synod of the Diocese of Enugu, Anglican Communion, which took place from June 29th to July 2nd, 2023, at the Cathedral Church of the Good Shepherd in Enugu.

The Synod acknowledged the government’s ongoing actions against corruption, such as removing and investigating the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The Synod expressed its hope that the outcomes of these investigations would be made public and that the probe’s scope would be expanded to include other institutions like INEC, NNPC, and certain political appointees from the previous administration.

The Synod also expressed concerns about the judiciary’s reputation in the country. It commended the candidates and political parties that pursued peaceful approaches to challenge the results of the 2023 general elections. However, it expressed dismay over the erosion of Nigerians’ confidence in the judiciary. It called upon the judiciary to use the ongoing election tribunals to restore people’s trust by delivering impartial justice.

The Synod criticized INEC for failing to fulfill its promises of conducting free, fair, and credible elections, particularly regarding using the BIVAS system and directly transmitting results through the IREV portal. It condemned the threats and attacks on eligible voters, particularly in Lagos State, where Igbo individuals were targeted, their properties destroyed, and their right to vote denied. The Synod expressed dissatisfaction with INEC’s conduct, which was perceived as partisan in ongoing election petition matters, and urged the commission to rectify its actions.

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Furthermore, the Synod called for strengthening INEC by appointing credible individuals as Chairman and commissioners to ensure true independence. It congratulated President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on his emergence and praised the steps to restore peace, unity, and the national economy. However, the Synod criticized the sudden removal of fuel subsidies without providing any palliatives, which has resulted in increased hardship. It called for the immediate allocation of the benefits from subsidy removal to alleviate the effects of hardship and rising inflation.

The Enugu Diocese also commended President Tinubu for adhering to the federal character principle in the recent appointment of service chiefs. However, it expressed concern about the ongoing attacks on the people of Southern Kaduna and the Christian community in Plateau State and urged the President to address this menace. The Synod acknowledged the unsafe conditions caused by terrorist activities, such as kidnapping, ritual killings, banditry, arms trafficking, and killer herders, and called upon the current administration to take swift action to improve the country’s security architecture.

The Synod expressed displeasure over the resurgence of kidnapping, armed robbery, rape, unlawful possession of firearms, and other violent crimes in Enugu State. It called upon the state government and security agencies to enhance intelligence-gathering measures and proactively tackle these security breaches. The Synod also urged the authorities to intensify their efforts to address the security challenges in Akpawfu Town in Nkanu East Local Government Area and the Ugwuogo – Opi – Nsukka road, where lives and properties have been lost and traveling has become a nightmare.

Finally, the Synod voiced

Its dissatisfaction with the planned increase in electricity tariff called on the federal government to suspend the action due to the prevailing hardship in the country.