The Bishops lamented that the development has seriously affected Nigerians in all spheres of life and the country’s image in the international community.
The bishops, from Ibadan Archdiocese, made of Ilorin, Ondo, Oyo, Ekiti and Osogbo Dioceses, in a communiqué issued by Rev. Gabriel Abegurin, chairman and Rev. Akin Oyejola, Secretary at the end of their meeting at the Domus Pacis Pastoral Institute, Igoba in Akure, lamented that the current wave of insecurity in the country is an indication that the Federal Government has woefully failed to punish the criminal elements killing Nigerians.
The bishops critically observed that Nigerians have lost confidence in President Muhammadu Buhari-led government.
They also expressed dismay at the Presidency for attacking the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Kukah, for his revelations to the United States Congress on the state of the nation, saying that Bishop Kukah made patriotic and commendable points with verifiable data on the unlawful persecution of Nigerians.
According to the Bishops, “Nigeria, our country, seems to have lost its very soul because it is no longer a healthy entity. The good health of any nation consists in its capacity to offer its citizens a territory where they can feel at home, feel secure and enjoy the necessities of life.”
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They noted that unfortunately, it is no longer the case in the country, where, armed conflicts, armed robbery, kidnapping for ransom, insurgency, banditry and extrajudicial killing persist as the order of the day.
The meeting observed that when a nation loses its soul, its people lose the cohesive elements of human relationships, adding that a nation that has lost its soul is characterised by inept, uncaring leadership which functions by selective allocation of posts, privileges and resources and by selective application of justice.
It added that it is characterised by leaders who, rather than care for the citizens of the country, simply exploit and denigrate them.
On the presidency’s response to Bishop Kukah, the bishops lamented that Bishop Kukah, in his patriotic and frank presentation called attention to some verifiable data and statistics about the Nigerian situation on that privileged international platform, stressing that he spoke for authentic Christians and Muslims who are under persecution.
”No doubt, the Bishops said he (Bishop Kukah) intended to solicit the support of that forum which many Nigerians believe holds the promise of some assistance and relief from our current national crises,” they said.
The communique explained that the Federal Government has characteristically gone up in arms against the person of Bishop Kukah and his purpose, stressing that it is commonly said that when there is a problem in a democracy, more democracy is needed to solve it, but sadly enough, the current federal government does not seem to subscribe to this. The meeting noted that for the sake of the country’s democracy, that right, exercised with responsibility, must be protected, saying, “We support Bishop Kukah in his effort to unveil the truth about the Nigerian situation to ameliorate things. We call on the Federal Government to learn not to see criticism as an attack or a crime.”
