Insecurity: Catholic bishops warns FG on dangers ahead

…Advise FG to seek help from international community

…Urge Buhari to refrain from sectional, religious bias in filling top security positions

The Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CNBC) has warned the Federal Government to take decisive action in tackling the incessant killings across the country, before it escalates into a national embarrassment.

According to them, the inability of the Federal Government to tackle rising spate of killings in the country calls for concern at both national and global levels.

President of Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, Most Rev. Augustine Akubeze, raised these concerns while addressing newsmen during a protest match by the bishops’ conference in Abuja on Sunday.

“We are gathered here protesting the brutal killings of Nigerians by Boko Haram and herdsmen who are invading people’s farmlands forcefully.

We are registering our protest also against kidnapping for ransom and to also let the government know that we are tired of hearing from them that Boko Haram has been technically defeated even when they still attack with impunity, as international security experts have on different occasions said the terrorist use weapons that are very sophisticated.

“The failure to protect Nigerians is not acceptable. Over the past months, there has been killings across different states, kidnap of women and students in schools and the government has not done enough to stop it in that regards.

“It is surprising that Federal Government sends condolence messages and reach out to foreign countries whenever there is trouble, but the same Federal Government will not even send condolence message to even the families of victims of Boko Haram.

“The several attacks on Nigerians and loss of numerous lives is now taken as normal, as government seem completely insensitive to the plight of Nigerians.

We are sending this message because any government that ignores the people who elected it is set up for a fantastic failure, and if nothing is done, the protest may become a national embarrassment to Nigerians,” he lamented.

Further speaking, he said that President Muhammadu Buhari must call his cabinet members to order to stop politicizing killings across the country as the insurgency knows no party.

He further called on the president to change the service chiefs and in subsequent appointments, ensure balance in appointing security chiefs owing to the diverse nature of the country.

“We urge you not to continue filling top security positions with some group of people that are from a particular section of the country and share same religious believe, as it is a recipe for disaster in a multi-ethnic country like Nigeria.

“Also, we urge you to listen to the legislature which unanimously called for the change in security chiefs and calls by the public to prevent terrorist attacks.

“Similarly, Catholic bishops’ conference is urging you to ask for foreign help to quash the terrorists and stop those working with you from politicizing the killings of Nigerians as the bombs of the terrorists does not know who is a member of the APC or PDP.

“We also urge you to reassure Nigerians that there is no agenda to Islamize Nigeria and give undue advantage to Islam over other religions. This is because your silence is breeding mistrust and the longer it stays this way the more it escalates.

“The Catholic Church does not support any political party, and we condemn any form of social justice and the lack of significant action to release those captured by Boko Haram is unacceptable and we can’t understand why the remaining Chibok girls, Leah Sharibu and others in captivity have not been released.

“Therefore, the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria is calling on the international community to come to the aid of Nigeria and see ourselves as a global family as the tears of persecuted Christians cannot continue,” he added.

Akubeze however urged Catholics and Nigerians to stand together to fight against terrorism and always speak against government’s inaction and poor response.

In an earlier event in the morning, the Catholic bishops said they experience a sense of oneness each time Vice President Yemi Osinbajo identifies with Nigerians, including the Church.

Osinbajo attended the opening mass of the First 2020 Plenary Meeting of CBCN at the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN), on Sunday in Abuja.

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The theme of the meeting is “The Word of God: A Lamp to my Feet and a Light to my Path.”

In a homily, the Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, Ignatius Kaigama, expressed delight that the vice president attended the Mass.

“I am so happy that our Vice President is here.

“It is not just being yet a very profound sacramental blessings that you are here; when you are with us and we are suffering, we are together but when there is a gap with you, there is a feeling of insensitivity.

“We need to have access to our leaders; we need to have access to the president, to the vice president, to the ministers; they need to be closer to the people that elected them; this is very important.’’

Kaigama said there was need for government and CBCN to work jointly in addressing the nation’s challenges from the grassroots.