President Bola Tinubu has been urged to look inward and evolve other sustainable approaches to tackle the current hardship tin the country
The Catholic Bishops of Ibadan Ecclesiastical Province, who gave the advise after theur meeting on Tuesday in Ibadan warned that the present government approach of sharing palliatives to some Nigerians can only worsen the situation, rather than solve i
The bishops from four states in the South west, said in a communique issued at the end of their meeting, held at the Domus Pacis Pastoral Institute, Igoba, Akure, the Ondo state capital, similarly urged the security agencies in the country to employ their sense of professionalism in handling the planned anti hardship protest, even as it urged the protesters to avoid violence and bloodshed.
The bishops in the communique signed by the Archbishop of Ibadan Catholic Archdiocese, Gabriel Abegunrin and Bishop John Oyejola, the chairman and secretary of the meeting respectively read, ”We strongly believe that if governments in Nigeria at all levels had responded more promptly and effectively to the groans and distress calls of the Nigerian people the current protest would not have gathered momentum.
” Nigerians have cried out about dire hunger in the land, persistent insecurity, failed promises, dashed hopes, the outrageous cost of living and governance, and ineffectiveness of the rule of law in curbing criminality among public officials not to talk of many public officers’ ineptitude with serious national issues.”
“We strongly urge the Federal, State and Local Governments to promptly attend to the distress call of the Nigerian people and turn a new leaf by responding promptly and effectively henceforth to the problems and distress of Nigerians.
“As we have said in the recent past, governance by palliatives, by intimidation or by hide and seek methods cannot provide a permanent solution to the challenges faced by the country.”
They called on the “governments at all levels to be proactive and respond promptly to the suffering of Nigerians, prevent protests.
The bishops emphasized that protests are fundamental rights of citizens in any normal and true democracies all over the world, but warned that the protesters should ensure they were orderly in exercising their constitutional rights.
“The protests in Nigeria should be made to serve that purpose and none other. The protesters should exercise restraint and not disturb or intimidate those who may choose not to participate in the exercise knowing that it is their inalienable right not to do so.
“Such people should be allowed to go about their lawful business unhindered. The organizers of the protest have therefore a responsibility to ensure all these or call off the protest.”
“During this protest, therefore, relevant security organizations must show restraint and civility in discharging their duties and avoid violence and accidental deaths which unfortunately seem to have characterized past exercises in Nigeria.”