Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja pleaded on Tuesday for the complete elimination of the North-South dichotomy so that Nigerians can enjoy true democracy.
Kaigama made the appeal speaking with reporters at a conference in Abuja, on “Understanding the Spirit of the Church on Media and Communication,” hosted by the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN).
He said the serious difference between Muslims and Christians favoring one or the other group should be totally discouraged, for Nigerians and Nigeria to flourish.
The Archbishop stressed that instead of Nigerians favoring each other on the basis of religion or ethnic feelings, merit and hard work should be the guiding criterion for Nigerians.
According to Kaigama, Nigeria has little freedom of speech, but the freedom to enjoy one’s life and be happy is what Nigerian leaders must work on, so that Nigerians can enjoy true democracy.
“Our democracy is a mixture of so many types of government. We have the traditional style of leadership, the dictatorial type of government and elements of democracy built into it.
“So it gives us something different from conventional democracy. But whatever it is, we should be free and happy, we should have enough.
“Our children should go to schools which are good and go to medical facilities which are very good and people should be free to move around,” the archbishop said.
On the issue of banning Twitter, Kaigama said the country needs social media because of its importance to the people.
He stressed that what should be prohibited was misuse and not the media themselves.
“We need these social networks, they are so important. What we need is to emphasize that they communicate what is authentic, authentic and what will foster harmony, social cohesion and promote values.
“That’s what we want, not ban them. But to promote them and make sure people are using this medium correctly.
“The misuse of the media is what we should be banning, not the media itself. It means a lot to Nigerians and it is a very authentic source of communication that should be allowed.
“I think it’s very important that they solve whatever the problem is and lift the ban quickly. So that people with economic and political interests can use it effectively, to promote progress, ”he said.
Archbishop Denis Isizoh, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Onitsha and President of the Nigerian Catholic Bishops Conference (CBCN) on Social Communications, said that whatever situation Nigerians find themselves in, there are challenges. beautiful sides and huge growth recorded.
According to him, there are positive and negative sides and there are things that Nigerians have done well in recent years.
“As far as our democracy is concerned, if you look at Nigeria, things have improved, but there are challenges. However, we need to keep experimenting and making an effort to see how we can improve. We thank God for democracy and the road traveled.
Social Communications Director, CSN, Father Mike Umoh, who praised the Nigerian media for their hard work, encouraged media professionals to practice unifying journalism.
Umoh urged them to go out into the field and listen to people who are not sitting in the comfort of their own homes to wrap up or generate stories. (NAN)
