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Bianca Iboma
The Vice Provincial Vicar of the Redemptorist community, Province of Nigeria, Very Rev. Fr Jude Anyaegbu, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to take necessary actions to stem rising insecurity in the land.
He made the statement during the 2019 edition of feast of “Our Mother of Perpetual Help,” organised by St. Martins De Porres Catholic Church, Agric, Ojo, Lagos State.
The theme of the event was ‘Do not be afraid to take Mary home.’
Anyaegbu explained that the feast was a yearly programme observed by the Catholic faithful around the world every June 27, but the parish extended the celebration to June 30 as a means of evangelism.
The cleric told Mr President to show sincerity by prioritising the security and welfare of the citizenry.
“The lives of Nigerians should be valued and protected, he said. He appealed to the Federal Government and security agencies to act promptly and stop the unnecessary waste of innocent lives.
“The culture of life, not killing must be embraced. President Buhari should find a way to end the spate of killings going on all around us; everyone is shocked with the continuous killings.”
Father Anyaegbu also urged the Federal Government and security agencies to act proactively to stop the carnage, lamenting that innocent lives were being lost daily.
He prayed against communal clashes, incessant killings and bloodletting, and for peace to be restored to every part of the country.
Similarly, the Parish Priest of St. Martins De Porres, Agric, Ojo, Rev. Father James Arebiyi, condemned the act of wanton killings going on all over the place, saying that it calls for overhauling of the country’s security architecture.
Arebiyi warned that the sanctity of human lives must not be compromised for any reason, be it banditry, politics or terrorism.
“The Federal Government should find a way to tackle the security challenges faced by our dear country. There must be a solution to these senseless killings and bloodletting in the country.
“Government should rise up to its primary responsibility of protecting lives and properties and bring killers of innocent people to justice.”
He too urged the Federal and state governments to work together in the interest of Nigerians, urging that they should check inhuman activities and murderous acts, recover sophisticated weapons from the groups terrorising the nation and ensure the reign of peace.
He advised government to put an end to the lapses in the country’s security apparatus and prevent potential ethnic, tribal or religious clashes.
He described the event of the day as vital to the Catholic faithful, explaining that our sweet Mother of Perpetual Help has indeed won the affection of innumerable devotees in Nigeria, because of her personality and the role she has played in the lives of the saints.”
He praised the Redemptorists for holding the event. “They left the comfort of their church building to troop into this quiet sanctuary located in this serene and expansive piece of land to project Mary, our Mother of Perpetual Help.
“They reckon with the vision and strength of Mary. That is why, as Redemptorists, they are taking her home just like the event’s theme, Take Mary home, implies,” he said.
The chairperson, Planning Committee of the event, Mrs Obiageli Nzediegwu, said people in the church were excited to be part of the celebration.
She also urged President Buhari to take a cue from developed nations and urgently direct security agencies to fish out perpetrators of callous acts in the country.
“We ought to have intelligence agencies that will act to prevent attacks and nip them in the bud. This is the least we can expect from our government. We expect that people will feel safe in every part of the country,” she said.
