OBOT AKARA, Nigeria (Chatnewstv.com) — Senate President Godswill Akpabio said Monday that the Church and the state must work together as partners for Nigeria’s transformation and human development, declaring that “no Parliament, however mighty, can govern a people without their soul.”
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria’s second plenary session in Obot Akara, Akpabio said the pulpit and parliament “stand this day not in rivalry, but in fellowship.”
“It is a solemn privilege to stand here,” Akpabio told Catholic leaders, including Archbishop Lucius Ugorji, president of the Bishops’ Conference, and Papal Nuncio Archbishop Michael Francis Crotty. “Faith and governance are not enemies but allies, marching together for the good of the people.”
The Senate president cited examples from Poland, Latin America and South Korea where, he said, the Church played a decisive role in advancing freedom and justice. “Time and again, where the Church has dared to be the conscience of the State, renewal has come to nations,” he said.
Akpabio praised Nigerian church leaders who opposed military rule, including Cardinal Anthony Okogie and Archbishop Gabriel Ganaka. “At a time when silence would have been easier, they raised their voices for democracy, for freedom, for dignity,” he said.
He urged Christians to bring their values into public service, noting, “Do not imagine that governance belongs to others while faith belongs only to the sanctuary. Bring your faith into the marketplace, into the corridors of power.”
Akpabio also pointed to legislative achievements of the 10th Senate, such as the Student Loan Act, tariff relief, a new minimum wage, and Nigeria’s decision to pursue peace in Niger. “These are not mere statutes, but living testimonies that parliament and pulpit, reason and faith, already walk hand in hand for the good of Nigeria,” he said.
While acknowledging challenges, Akpabio called for patience. “The work of rebuilding Nigeria will not be accomplished in a day, nor in a year,” he said. “A nation is like a mighty cathedral—it is not raised overnight, but stone by stone, prayer by prayer, hand by hand.”
He pledged continued cooperation between the Senate and the Church in education, healthcare and youth empowerment. “Your voice is not ornamental, it is essential; your counsel is not optional, it is indispensable,” he said.
“Let us therefore renew hope in the Nigerian enterprise,” Akpabio added. “Let us walk together—Church and State, pulpit and parliament, faith and policy—towards the dawn.”
