Less than six months before the 2015 elections begin, President Goodluck Jonathan has assured Catholic Bishops and Nigerians as a whole that his administration is commitment to ensure that a free and fair elections  hold all over the country.

The president made this statement on Sunday at the opening of the 2014 Catholic Bishops’ Conference held in Warri, Delta.

Speaking on behalf of President Jonathan at the occasion, Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State said“On behalf of President Jonathan, I congratulate the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN). The president is committed to free and fair elections in 2015; he has given us the assurance.”

President Jonathan noted that religion was vital to the transformation of any society, saying that his administration was partnering with religious bodies in that direction.

“This area had the worst experience in the Niger Delta crisis but prayers helped us to overcome the challenges.

“I believe that prayers will also help us to resolve the current Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East part of the country,” he said.

Uduaghan, while speaking on his own capacity,  said that his administration would continue to create an enabling environment for investment.

“We embarked on `Delta Beyond Oil’ because we observed that oil cannot sustain the economy because of its volatility.

“The programme is all about the future of the youth; so, we will ensure there is security, infrastructure and human capacity to adequately attract investors,” he said.

The President of CBCN, Most Rev, Ignatius Kaigama, called for continuous prayers to sustain peace and unity in Nigeria. He said that Nigeria’s security and other challenges were surmountable.

Kaigama, the Archbishop of Jos, said that those advocating for division of the country might not know the consequences.

“There is no guarantee that things will become better if we go our ways,” the cleric said.

Host Bishop, John Afareha of the Catholic Diocese of Warri, commended the bishops for their contributions to the growth of the church and the society.

He noted that the event coincided with the golden jubilee of the diocese.