Electoral Act must not be manipulated to give undue advantage to anyone — Anglican Bishop counsels

Dayo Johnson Akure

Bishop of Diocese of Ondo Anglican Communion, in Ondo state, Dr Stephen Adeniran Oni has advised that the signed Electoral Act must not be manipulated to give undue advantage to anyone in the polity.

The clergyman equally appealed to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to shelve their strike action in the interest of students and education in the country.

Oni who said this during the 70th anniversary of the church held in Ondo in Ondo West Local Government Area of the State also advised the Federal Government to accede to the request of the lecturers in the interest of education in the country.

The Cleric while commending President Muhammadu Buhari for signing the reworked electoral bill into law however advised that the law must be implemented in the interest of the country’s democracy.

We must thank President Muhammadu Buhari for the newly signed Electoral Act 2022.

This law that has just been signed must not be manipulated to give an undue advantage to anybody.”

Oni while speaking on the strike by lecturers, expressed regret that incessant strike action by lecturers over unfulfilled agreements usually disrupt the academic calendar and the lives of the students urged the two sides to consider the future of the students and sheath their swords.

According to him, both the government and the university teachers should come to the table and agree to say the protracted strikes all the time have brought untold hardships and problems upon the stakeholders, parents and students over the years.

He expressed regret that students who were supposed to spend four or five years in the universities for the first degree end up spending between six and seven years.

Speaking on the church’s anniversary, Oni lauded the efforts of the heroes both home and abroad that have made the church grow to say a mustard seed planted as a Diocese on 24th February 1952 has grown to be a veritable apex of evangelism, education, and achievements in all aspects on human endeavours.

The Cleric said ‘ the Diocese was now proud to have a world-class multi-million Naira Eye Care Centre that gives free eye treatment to all Nigerians, a multi-million event centre and 70 flats to accommodate priests serving in the diocese.