At the same time, we encourage our citizens to practise honest labour, support local enterprises, and avoid criminality and corrupt practices. iii. Poor Infrastructure Bad roads, erratic power supply, and failing public utilities slow down economic growth and daily life. We charge Government to transparently invest more funds in public amenities, repair vital roads, and ensure steady electricity and clean water. We particularly demand that railway transport facilities be provided throughout the nation to enhance socio-economic life of our people. We also ask our people to protect public property from vandalism and report corrupt practices about infrastructural projects. 7. FOREIGN AIDS (REGULATION, TRANSPARENCY AND DISCLOSURE) BILL 2026 This Bill, which has passed through first and second readings in the National Assembly, will have negative impact in the society. Some provisions require registration of foreign aid resources and mandate authorities to supervise the use of the resources. These sound good but have the potentials to adversely affect churches, mosques, schools, and humanitarian groups that provide critical aid in conflict-affected or vulnerable groups. This Bill, which allows authorities to deny registration or refuse renewals if an organization's work is deemed “not in the national interest”, gives broad, undue discretionary powers to government officials. Again, the Bill risks creating an unnecessary layer of bureaucracy, duplicating existing laws, and granting excessive government control that could stifle independent civic space. Non-profit organizations and Incorporated Trustees including Churches, Mosques, other religious bodies, and humanitarian groups are already strictly regulated by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) under the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) and some other extant laws. We, therefore, request the National Assembly and the federal government not to proceed with the processes of making this Bill into law in the interest of fundamental rights of association and freedom of religion, thought and conscience, and the overall development of our people and nation. 8. GENERAL ELECTIONS 2027 As we approach the 2027 General Elections, we call on all stakeholders to work for free, fair and credible elections. We encourage eligible voters to come out en masse to vote qualified people into offices and in line with their good consciences. As a Conference, we have issued a pastoral letter regarding the forthcoming general elections. We call on all citizens to study the pastoral letter and follow the provisions and guidelines. We invite all dioceses and parishes in our nation to embark on civic education, mobilization and end-of-month fasting and prayer with Rosary processions from October to December 2026 in preparation for the elections. We announce that 8 December 2026 will be observed as special and national day for prayer and fasting for the success of the elections. 9. EVENTS IN THE CHURCH As we continue the Special Jubilee marking the Eighth Centenary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi, we urge all people of goodwill to pay particular attention to safeguarding the environment, the praise of which St. Francis of Assisi spoke so eloquently. The celebration of the Mass for the Care of Creation was a good wake-up call for us and we hope that we will build on the success of this celebration. We thank God for the success of our last visit to the Threshold of the Apostles (Ad limina Apostolorum) in Rome (1-16 March 2026), through which we express our communion with the Holy Father. We pray that the visit will bear fruits in our local churches and our nation. We congratulate the Vice President of our Conference, Archbishop Alfred Adewale Martins of Lagos Archdiocese, on his appointment to the Dicastery for Evangelization, Section for First Evangelization and the New Particular Churches. We wish him every success in this appointment.