The Catholic Bishops of the Ibadan Ecclesiastical Province have called on President Bola Tinubu, state governors, and local government chairpersons to address the urgent concerns of Nigerians regarding hunger, high living costs, insecurity, and unmet promises.
This appeal was made in a communiqué issued at the end of their meeting in Akure on Tuesday.
The communiqué, co-signed by Chairman Leke Abegunrin and Secretary John Oyejola, emphasized that the current agitations are due to leaders’ failure to promptly respond to citizens’ distress calls.
“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,” the communiqué stated.
The bishops noted that while protests do not solve problems, they have gained momentum due to the government’s failure to address public grievances.
“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,” they said.
The bishops advised protesters to ensure their demonstrations do not obstruct lawful activities or intimidate those who choose not to participate.
“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 communiqué read.
They also called on security agencies to handle the protests with restraint and civility to avoid violence and accidental deaths, which have marred past protests.
“The bishops called on relevant security organisations to show restraint and civility in discharging their duties and avoid violence and accidental deaths during the protests,” the statement added.
In their broader appeal, the bishops urged Nigerians to unite to overcome the nation’s challenges, attributing the current hardships to “greed, corruption, lack of accountability, lawlessness, indiscipline, selfishness, and poor attitude to work.”
They emphasized, “Nigeria is a great country, and we are a great people… Our current situation of hunger and deprivation is not as a result of economic poverty, but due to bad will and bad conduct of some of us, Nigerians in every walk of life and at every level.”
In summary, the Catholic Bishops are calling for immediate action from leaders to address the issues prompting the planned nationwide protests, while urging both protesters and security forces to act responsibly to ensure peace and order.