Ekpenyong stated that the leadership of the country under Jonathan has not brought the much desired change craved for by Nigerians.
The Archbishop lamented that corruption in public places remains very conscious.
Ekpenyong spoke on Sunday at the 37th Annual Synod, with theme: “What if the Lord had not been with us”, held at Wesley Methodist Cathedral, Calabar, Cross River State.
The cleric said Jonathan’s administration’s policy of setting up several committees of enquiries, fuel subsidy probe and granting of presidential pardon to former Governor Diepreye Alamieyesigha were indicative of how wanting the policies of the current atomisation in the country has been.
But, he did not place the entire blame of the poor state of the nation on the shoulders of the Presidency alone.
He tasked religious leaders to “encourage the citizenry to remain focused, hopeful and prayerful as well as take active part in determining who governs us at all times rather than being passive”.
The Archbishop, who admonished politicians to lead exemplary lives, said the resignation of former Catholic Pope, Benedict XVI, “is a lesson that there is need to bow out when health, general opinion and demand for dignity take its tolls”.
He said Nigeria political leaders to emulate Benedict XVI by quitting office when necessary, instead of waiting to be disgraced out of office.
Ekpenyong said: “People, leaders and all such functionaries must not stay on at ‘all cost’ even to the detriment of the very purpose that brought them to office….
“Any leader who, after a specific period of time and expiration of the term, still insist on ruling at all cost is actually a failure, it means he has been there ruling himself all along; not conscious of the preparing others to take over from him for continuity.
“It also means he has declared the rest of his followers not capable enough or rather too foolish to handle leadership, except him alone and due to greed so many leaders in Africa have refused to office for fear of unknown.”
He said that such situation has led to producing good number of dictators in power.
The cleric said that youth restiveness and civil disobedience in the country can only be avoided if our youths and the educated ones are gainfully employed through job creation.
He, therefore, urged the philanthropists in the the Church to create opportunists where the youths of the church can be meaningfully engaged to reduce the dependency of Minister of God.
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