- Archbishop Martins warns against ethnic bigotry against Igbo
- Address the citizens’ complaints, Onitsha Province Bishops enjoin Tinubu
Most Rev. (Dr.) Alfred Adewale Martins, Archbishop of the Metropolitan See of Lagos has warned against ethnic bigotry, stating that Nigerians must prioritise its unity, cohesion, and progress by doing away with divisive rhetoric, particularly against the Igbo living in Lagos. Archbishop Martins made this assertion in reaction to a recent call demanding the relocation of Igbo people from Lagos and other south-west states.
In a release signed by Very Rev. Fr. Anthony Godonu, Director of Social Communications, the prelate cautioned that such a shameful distraction is counter-productive at a time when the collective effort should be to fight against hunger and poverty that do not know ethnic origin or tribal affiliation. Archbishop Martins called on the political leaders across the various tiers of government, as a matter of urgency, to address the root causes of the ongoing protests; which is endemic hunger to assuage the anger in the land. He warned that failure of the country’s leadership to address the major legitimate demands of the protesting youths may further aggravate the already tense atmosphere in the land.
He said, “There is no doubt that there is much hunger in the land, people are falling sick and dying out of poverty and inability to buy medicine and pay hospital bills, they have difficulty in paying the school fees of their children and the cost of food and electricity is constantly on the rise. These days of protests have highlighted the failure of government over the years to address the root causes of the hunger and poverty in the land. “The present government has had to make some policy decisions that have had the effect of creating more pains for people, and so government at all levels must show that it is listening to the protesters by making measurable commitments to cutting down on the cost of governance even if it means cutting down on the number of political appointees and pruning down on their salaries and emoluments. “
She must commit to abandoning projects and travels that do not contribute in any direct way to the welfare of people, especially in the light of the sacrifices that people are being requested to make for the future of the nation. People want to see their leaders taking the lead in making sacrifices, and I believe that some such gestures will assuage the anger in the land.” He also challenged the federal and state governments to quickly roll out policies that would have direct positive impact on the masses, particularly in the area of massive food production and strengthening of the naira to curb inflation and improve the quality of lives of Nigerians. “
While importation of food may serve short term needs, we must embark on massive production so as to achieve food security and a sustainable solution to the problem of hunger in the land.” Finally, the prelate urged the Police and other law enforcement agencies to exercise maximum restraint in engaging with the peaceful protesters. While commending the officers who have demonstrated good rapport with the protesters in the last three days, he expressed deep sadness at the states in which protests have led to violence and deaths. He appealed for a quick end to the protests so that the bad economy would not become worse. In same vein, the Catholic Bishops of Onitsha Ecclesiastical Province in their meeting held recently at Bishop’s House, Enugu expressed displeasure with the federal government’s response to protests, stating that rather than suppress demonstrations, the government should allow the aggrieved citizens to express their grievances and address their concerns.
The prelates of Archdiocese of Onitsha and Dioceses of Enugu, Abakiliki, Awka, Nsukka, Nnewi, Awgu, Ekwulobia, and Aguleri, said the protesters have the constitutional right to express their displeasure against economic hardship and widespread suffering in Nigeria under President Bola Tinubu administration. In a recent statement, signed by Most Rev. Valerian Okeke, Chairman and MetropolitaArchbishop of Onitsha; Most Rev. Peter Nworie Chukwu, Secretary and Bishop of Abakiliki, among others, the Bishops slammed the political leaders over what they described as ‘life of affluence’ amid hunger and suffocating hardship’ by the masses.
They wrote, “We affirm that aggrieved persons have the right to express their grievance in a civil and peaceful manner. It would not only be unconstitutional, but also inhuman for those who hurt others so deeply by their conduct or misconduct to attempt to prevent them from expressing their pain. You cannot beat a child and prevent him or her from crying, as our people say. “Rather than try to forcefully suppress peaceful protest, the government ought, as a matter of urgency, to publicly engage the citizenry, and immediately address its many complaints. “We are, however, concerned that in the present circumstance, it may be close to impossible for the organisers of the planned national protest to keep it peaceful. “Firstly, very many people are angry, and rightly so. It would be difficult to control large crowds of such angry people and get them to protest peacefully. “
Secondly, the security agencies in our country have in the past not been able to provide the needed protection for protesters. Rather, they often used excessive force, leading to the loss of lives. “Furthermore, such protests provide opportunity to common criminals to destroy and loot the property of innocent citizens who are their fellow victims of misrule. In the end, there will only be increased hardship and suffering for the very people on account of whom the protest is being staged. The protests that had already been held in some parts of the country in the past few days were not all peaceful, and they are indicative of how the larger one could be”. The Bishops called on President Tinubu to expedite concrete action in resolving the concerns of the citizens beyond mere palliatives.
… Bishop Francis Adesina calls for peace amid protest
By Rev. Fr. Anthony Adetayo
Most Rev. Francis Obafemi Adesina, Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Ijebu-Ode, in a statement released recently has appealed to Nigerians to pray for peace and stability in the country. He urged citizens to refrain from violence during protests against the government, instead advocate for peaceful expressions of grievances through dialogue, petitions, and town hall meetings. Bishop Adesina emphasised the need for the government to address the root causes of the protests, including economic hardship, insecurity, and corruption. He encouraged the government to work towards finding sustainable solutions to the country’s challenges, including food inflation, epileptic and expensive power supply, unaffordability of petroleum products etc.
This call for peace is reminiscent of the 2020 peaceful protest led by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) against the “brutal killing of innocent Nigerians” and the high level of insecurity in the country. The CBCN had called on the government to take action against terrorism and extremism. “My dear Catholic Faithful and especially the youths, remain law-abiding citizens of our dear country. Your life matters, and I do not support any violence or destructive activities.”
In addition, the Bishop encouraged the masses, “It’s time to manage resources as tough times don’t last, only tough people do. You’re in my prayers and things will get better with time. We cannot give up on hope, we cannot give up on a better future for ourselves and our children”. The Bishop encouraged more prayers for Nigeria in distress in this year of Prayer as declared by the Supreme Pontiff; Pope Francis.
