Be Peaceful, Orderly During Protest, Catholic Bishops Tell Nigerians

Ahead of the August 1 nationwide protests against hardship in the country, the Catholic Bishops of Ibadan Ecclesiastical Province have called on the Nigerians who planned to stage a rally to be peaceful and orderly.

The bishops, at the end of their meeting, held at the Domus Pacis Pastoral Institute, Igoba, Akure, Ondo State capital on Tuesday, warned that the protesters should exercise restraint and not disturb or intimidate those who may choose not to participate in the exercise.

In the communique signed by  Archbishop of Ibadan Catholic Archdiocese, Gabriel Abegunrin and Bishop John Oyejola, the chairman and secretary of the meeting respectively, the clergymen noted that protests should cause no consternation in any normal democratic setting because the right of protest is guaranteed in true democracies all over the world.

The Bishops, however, warned that the protesters should ensure they were orderly in exercising their constitutional rights.

According to the Bishops, 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 organizers of the protest have therefore a responsibility to ensure all these or call off the protest.”

While calling on the governments at all levels to be proactive and respond promptly to the suffering of Nigerians, they added “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, the outrageous cost of living and governance, and ineffectiveness of the rule of law in curbing criminality among public officials not to talk of many public officers’ ineptitude with serious national issues.”

“We strongly urge the Federal, State, and Local Governments to promptly attend to the distress call 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.”