Owerri: Catholic Bishops of Owerri Ecclesiastical Province have decried the terrible effects of the lingering Sit at Home which they alleged was being enforced by criminal elements in the South-East region of Nigeria.
he Bishop’s raised the concerns in a five-point communiqué issued at the end of their first plenary meeting of 2022, signed by the Chairman and Secretary, Most Rev. Anthony J. V. Obinna and Most Rev Augustine N. Echema, respectively.
The communiqué read in parts: “For some time now, the people of South-East Nigeria, have been forced to sit-at-home on frequent occasions. The situation has become so confusing because some of these orders and counter orders are now being issued and enforced by criminal elements.”
“These sit-at-home orders are, however, having a devastating effect on the economic and social life of the people, and adversely affecting their means of livelihood,” He said.Making particular reference to education in the South-East geopolitical zone, the bishops opined that it took a serious hit.
They further spoke on the impact loans taken by the Federal Government and the state Government.“We observe with great concern, the frequency with which the Federal and State Governments resort to taking loans, especially foreign ones, to finance their budget shortfalls” the Bishops say.
“At the last count, the Bureau of Statistics in Nigeria has reported that Nigeria currently, is indebted up to the tune of N32 trillion.“While we recognize the economic need, and sometimes, the necessity of government taking loans, we insist that every responsible Nigerian government, must exercise prudence in the borrowing and management of such loans, so as not to mortgage the future of the nation since, by and large, loans must be repaid.” The clerics also lamented that for so long, the problems facing the country, have remained intractable and the solutions farfetched.
They said: “Today in Nigeria, we are witnessing terrible darkness in the shape of unreasonable hatred, wickedness, brutality and bloodshed.“With the consequent breakdown and failure of governance across the nation, various militant groups terrorists and bandits emerged, foisting a state of anxiety and anarchy, on the whole nation.“Hate and greed-driven violence has thus escalated, leading to the reciprocal mass slaughter of humans, the sacking and burning of homes and settlements, giving rise to many Internally Displaced Persons, IDP. This miserable condition must be addressed before the next elections begin.
“After taking a critical look at the nation’s electoral process, the Catholic Bishops expressed hope that Nigerians have another chance to lay the frameworks for the next electoral process.In their words: “We are hopeful that the National Assembly and the Presidency, will put aside their differences and come forward with electoral laws that will help us chart a new pathway that will guarantee free, fair and credible general elections.”
While urging the President and members of the National Assembly to “appoint only non-partisan and honest umpires of unassailable integrity to oversee the transitioning process”, the bishops were, however, not happy with the seemingly endless sit at home order in Igboland, every Monday.They said: “Children are kept out of school and learning is carried out under the climate of fear and uncertainty. This status quo cannot be allowed to continue.
“We appeal to the government to fulfil its constitutional duty of protecting lives and property and to initiate avenues of dialogue with agitators. We equally appeal to all those indiscriminately issuing orders, to respect the fundamental human rights of those they seek to protect and fight for.”
The IIndigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) initially ordered the Monday Sit at Home exercise in protest over the continued incarceration of their Leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. Unfortunately, they seem to have lost control of the situation with the so called “criminal elements” violently enforcing the order contrary to orders from the IPOB hierarchy.
