From Priscilla Ediare, Ado-Ekiti
Ahead of the planned nationwide protest against economic hardship billed to hold from 1 to 10 August, the Catholic Bishops of the Ibadan Ecclesiastical Province have called on President Bola Tinubu to provide a permanent solution to the economic crises in the country.
The religious leaders, who said that the distribution of palliatives by the federal government will not solve the current challenges confronting Nigerians, appealed to the President to urgently attend to the calls of the people regarding the eradication of hunger, ending insecurity, addressing failed promises, and other issues.
The Bishops made this known in a statement issued at the end of their meeting held in Akure, Ondo State. The statement, jointly signed by the Chairman and Secretary of the Province, Most Rev. Leke Abegunrin and Most Rev. John Oyejola, was provided to journalists by the Catholic Bishop of Ekiti Diocese, Most Rev. Felix Ajakaye, on Tuesday, in Ado-Ekiti.
The clerics, who maintained that protests will not provide a solution to the country’s economic woes, noted that the protest would not have gathered momentum if the various levels of government had heeded the cries of Nigerians.
The Bishops, while acknowledging that it is the constitutional right of Nigerians to protest, urged them to shelve their plans if they cannot demonstrate peacefully, without hindering lawful businesses.
“Protests should cause no consternation in any normal democratic setting because the right to protest is guaranteed in true democracies all over the world. Protests are organised to draw the attention of governments and authorities to the opinions or demands of people or groups in society.
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“In Nigeria, the impending protest has raised a furore of opinions regarding its legitimacy and expediency. Many believe that protests are not a solution to Nigeria’s problems. They are right. Protests are not meant to provide solutions to problems.
“Protests are held as a last resort for citizens who have cried out for solutions to problems and have not been heeded. Protests are the last resort for amplifying the voices of those who feel oppressed. 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 organisers of the protest have a responsibility to ensure all these or call off the protest.
“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, outrageous cost of living and governance, and ineffectiveness of the rule of law in curbing criminality among public officials, not to mention the ineptitude of many public officers in dealing with serious national issues.
“We strongly urge the Federal, State, and Local Governments to promptly attend to the distress calls 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.
“During this protest, therefore, relevant security organisations must show restraint and civility in discharging their duties and avoid violence and accidental deaths, which unfortunately seem to have characterised past exercises in Nigeria.”