From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Catholic Bishops under the umbrella of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) have asked the Federal Government to tread with caution in its ongoing plans to establish State Police as part of measures to tackle rising insecurity across the country.
The Catholic Bishops, though, admitted that insecurity in Nigeria is at its highest in Nigeria, but insisted that the ongoing discussion about the creation of State Police be carefully studied, asking the government to first assess the impact of all other already existing security outfit in this regard.
The suggestions were contained in a communique issued at the end of the First Plenary Meeting of the CBCN at the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN) in Abuja, yesterday.
CBCN President, Archbishop Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji, who signed the communique expressed strong solidarity with Nigerians who are suffering in the seriously deteriorating situation of the nation, especially in the areas of security and economy.
He noted that insecurity has attained yet a higher scale than had ever seen before in the land. “Insurgents, armed herdsmen, bandits, and the so-called unknown gunmen have continued to unleash terror in different parts of the country.
“Kidnapping for ransom has reached homes and areas where in the pass it was thought impossible. The result is that many have fled their homes, abandoned their farms, shops, businesses and other sources of livelihood. The number of internally-displaced persons in our country is ever growing.
“We are making yet another passionate appeal to Government to act immediately to stem the tide. The legitimacy of government depends on its capacity to protect life and property.
“Our worsening economy has continued to make living hard and difficult for our people who have been subjected to a life of grinding poverty, continuing hunger and untold hardship.
“The situation is worsened by the high unemployment rate in the country, which has further impoverished and degraded our citizens.
“We note the efforts of the Federal Government in addressing some of our key economic problems. While we understand the reasons behind some of the reforms, it is our view that some of these policies seem not to have been properly thought through and as such the outcomes seem to fall short of expectations.
“For instance, while the fuel subsidy removal was meant to help improve government’s revenue which has been the case across the three levels of government, the impact on Nigerians has been debilitating.
“Similarly, we note that the decision to float the Naira has had unintended negative and harsh consequences. In the light of this, we urge government to urgently address the increasing disaffection and restiveness spreading across the population, in order to avoid a descent into chaos and anarchy.”
The Catholic Bishops thus urged the government to create the necessary and conducive environment that would enable Nigerians to return to farms, considering the diminishing purchasing power of the Nigerian currency, and the capacity of agriculture to be the bedrock of our survival.
They enjoined government at all levels to establish small scale industries in the rural areas to increase productivity and reduce unemployment. “It would be helpful if such industries are agro based.
“We strongly re-affirmed the age long teaching of the Church on the Sacrament of Marriage as a union between one man and one-woman Code of Canon Law, Canon 1055); Catechism of the Catholic Church, N. 2335).
“We thus reject the reading of the Declaration that suggest that Priests could bless same-sex couples or other couples in irregular situations such as those of polygamists, and the divorce and remarried, in a way that legitimize such unions. We, the Catholic Bishops of Nigeria affirm our loyalty to the teaching of Christ and the Holy Father the Pope.”