Catholic bishops warn protesters, security operatives against violence

The Catholic Bishops of Ibadan Ecclesiastical Province have called on the Nigerians who planned to stage a protest on Thursday to be peaceful and orderly.

The bishops made the call in a communique issued at the end of their meeting, held at the Domus Pacis Pastoral Institute, Igoba, Akure, Ondo State capital on Tuesday.

The communique was signed by the Archbishop of Ibadan Catholic Archdiocese, Gabriel Abegunrin and Bishop John Oyejola, the chairman and secretary of the meeting respectively.

According to the communique, the bishops noted that protests should cause no consternation in any normal democratic setting because the right of protest is guaranteed in true democracies all over the world but warned that the protesters should ensure they were orderly in exercising their constitutional rights.

The communique said, ” 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.”

The clerics called on the governments at all levels to be proactive and respond promptly to the suffering of Nigerians, and prevent protests.

It added, “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.”

They strongly urged the government at all levels to attend to the distress call of the Nigerian people.

“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 said.

The bishops urged the security agencies in the country to be professional enough in handling the protest as well as the protesters in order to avoid violence and bloodshed.

The bishops said, “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.”