By; NICHOLAS DEKERA, Kaduna
The Catholic ArchBishop of Kaduna Arch-diocese, Most Reverend Matthew Man-oso Ndagoso has challenged the National Assembly to do the needful to ensure internal democracy in political parties via the electoral amendment process.
Ndagoso maintained that for 22 years of indirect primaries, nothing significant has changed.
Speaking on Friday December 24, 2021 in his Christmas message, the ArchBishop said, “if the President signs electoral amendment, he takes responsibility for it. Law making is for the people. In law making and leading people, the greatest common good should inform the actions of leaders.”
He lamented that, “for 22 years National Assembly has seen that the process that produces our leaders is questionable. The Constitution has vested so much powers in governors and resources. And they have used it for selfish reasons. Elections take place and people who never participated are presented as winners. So the National Assembly may have in its wisdom deemed it fit to boost internal democracy, correct this anomaly, sanitize the process.
Speaking earlier on synod, Ndagoso said, “It is no longer news that Pope Francis has convoked a Synod on Synodality titled, “For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation and Mission.” He solemnly inaugurated the Synod in Rome on the 9th – 10th October, 2021. The Synod which will run through to October 2023 is being conducted in stages beginning with the particular churches, the provincial, the national and the universal, a bottom-top approach.”
He said the fruits of the synod at the particular churches will be synthesized at the provincial levels and sent to the national level for further synthesis and onward transmission to Rome for the final stage. He revealed that, “the Synod is the ordinary or normal way of consultation in the life of the church. This is why it is often described as a journey together on which the sojourners share their life experiences by listening to each other regardless of status. Active participation in the life-sharing experiences by all the sojourners is crucial to making the corporate journey smooth and less burdensome. The synod therefore offers one and all a chance of living a participative and inclusive ecclesiastical process that offers everyone – especially those who for various reasons find themselves on the margins, the opportunity to express themselves and to be heard in order to contribute to the edification of the people of God. “Consequently, I call upon and urge all the faithful of our Archdiocese to actively participate in the synodal process by sharing personal experiences of life in the church and kind of church they wish to see and experience.”
He announced that the Archdiocesan Synod coordination team led by Fr. Vitus Borogo has already sent out the schedules of the synod activities.
“Please give them your maximum support and cooperation for a fruitful synod. Don’t be left out either as individuals or groups. Share your views about the church,” he charged.
