The Catholic Bishops' Conference of Nigeria, CBCN held their first plenary meeting of the year at the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, Durumi, Abuja.

The week-long meeting which was the assembly of Catholic Bishops had as the theme ''That they might have life and have it more abundantly''. The meeting of the clergy deliberated on many issues including the preservation of the dignity and sanctity of life as well as the responsibility of the government.

At the end of the meeting, a communique was issued stating the position of the catholic bishops on issues that are of utmost importance to both the church and the nation at large.

Part of the resolutions reached was the need for both the citizens and the government at all levels to ensure that the dignity and sanctity of human life is highly protected and respected. The group of Catholic Bishops who decried the incessant killing of innocent and harmless Nigerians on daily basis called for a better synergy between the government, security agencies in the country and members of the public to fashion out a more purposeful and efficient protection strategy to ensure that human life and property are adequately protected.

''We say no to these senseless killings and urge everybody to respect the sanctity of human life and end the flow of innocent blood in our land''. We advocate a stronger collaboration between the government, the security agencies and the entire population, for a more efficient protection of human life and property''.

On the role of the government in a nation, the Catholic Bishops reaffirm their message to the President in their recent visit noting that the government has an indispensable role to perform in nation building. They therefore, called on the government to ensure that adequate social amenities, functional education, good governance and right policies are put in place so as to create the enabling environment for business to strive which according to them will further improve the standard of living of the people.

The Catholic Bishops also harped on the need for the church to play the role of change agent in creating job opportunities for the teeming population. They maintained that as a church, they are obliged to continue in rendering social services and providing job opportunities for people as they have done in the past through the schools, hospitals and other enterprises put in place by the Catholic Church.

''We also enjoin all Church organs and institutions to enlarge their engagement in entrepreneurial actions such as setting up more resource centers that will bring about skill acquisition and self-reliance''.

Also contained in the communique issued was the call on Nigerians to see election as a God given opportunity for citizens to democratically choose their leaders in a free and fair contest. The Bishops urged Nigerians to participate in the ongoing registration process as that is the only way they can participate in choosing those they desire to pilot the affairs of the country.

They also called on the government and the National Independent Electoral Commission, INEC to address the issue of non-availability of facilities for registration in some places which according to them should be done with utmost urgency and without any form of bias.

''Reports reaching us from all over the nation indicate that in many places facilities for registration are not available, thus depriving many people of the right to register for voting. It is equally reported that such difficulty in registration often target certain segments of the community.''

CBCN elects new officers

At the just concluded Catholic Bishops' Conference of Nigeria, CBCN plenary meeting at Abuja, the Christian body has elected new officers who are to pilot the affairs of the body.

The new officers according to a communique include Most Rev. Augustine Obiora Akubeze, the Archbishop of Benin City as the new President of the conference, Most Rev. Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji, Bishop of Umuahia as the Vice president, Most Rev. Camillus Raymond Umoh, Bishop of Ikot-Ekpene the Secretary, Most Rev. Charles Michael Hammawa, Bishop of Jalingo as the Assistant secretary.

The Catholic Bishops prayed that God to grant the new officers the needed wisdom and guidance in the discharge of their duties. They also thanked the former executive led by Most Rev. Ignatius Ayau Kaigama for their applausive stewardship and prayed to God to continue to bless them.