FG Not Doing Enough To End Boko Haram Insurgency – Catholic Bishops

Catholic_BishopsThe Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria has accused the Federal Government of doing very little to put an end to the rising insecurity and the unending killings in the country.

The Bishops, who issued a statement during their Second Annual Plenary in Warri, Delta State, said the meeting has daily been inundated with “first-hand and horrifying reports reaching from Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Taraba, Kano and Kaduna states about the mass slaughter of fellow Nigerians; the burning and sacking of whole villages and churches and rectories”.

In the statement titled ‘While Nigeria bleeds and burns’, the CBCN lamented the precarious situation in the North-East, where it noted that reports “only confirm further killings, burnings and fleeing of defenseless Nigerians creating a heightened sense of unrest and siege to the whole nation”.

Signed by the CBCN President, Most Revd Ignatius Kaigama, and Secretary, Most Revd William Avenya, the body called on the all tiers of government to do more than they were doing to preserve the unity of the nation.

CBCN said, “In the face of this Boko Haram group and other criminal militias arming themselves beyond our legitimate government and brazenly killing innocent, defenseless citizens, our government must do more than it is currently doing to safeguard our lives and defend our nation.

“It must do more than it is currently doing to fight off and disarm these actual destroyers of Nigerians and Nigeria. It must do more than it is currently doing to prevent segments of our nation from drifting, anarchy and mutual self-destruction and bring criminals to justice”.

The Bishops warned that what should be uppermost in the programme of government should not be the fight for positions in the 2015 elections but how to guarantee the lives of Nigerians.

The clerics added, “We warn every Nigerian community at local and state levels to be alert to the grave danger facing all of us and our nation from within and from without.

“The issue is not about who becomes president or governor or senator after the 2015 general elections. The issue is about the life and security of every one of us who loves his or her life and really cares about our living together in peace as noble Nigerians.

“We urge therefore that we all support and encourage every positive effort by the current government to protect every Nigerian and defend the integrity and unity of Nigeria. Let us equally take lawful measures locally to prevent the destruction of fellow Nigerians and to ward off Nigeria’s destroyers”.