The Catholic Bishops of Ibadan Ecclesiastical Province, comprising Ibadan Archdiocese, Ilorin, Ondo, Oyo, Ekiti and Osogbo Dioceses, has called on organisers of the forthcoming nationwide protest against bad governance in the country to be civil, peaceful and decorous during the exercise.
The prelates asked Nigerians planning to carryout the hunger protest to either maintain peace and respect the wish of other Nigerians who didn’t join or call off the protest.
They charged governments at all levels to cultivate the habit of responding to distress call of the Nigerian people and turn a new leaf by responding promptly and effectively henceforth to the problems and distress of Nigerians if they don’t want citizens to protest bad governance.
According to the clerics, the forthcoming nationwide protest is gathering momentum because the Federal, State and Local Governments have failed to attend to the groaning of the citizens and ameliorate their challenges.
The charge was contained in a communique issued after the bishops’ second meeting for 2024 at the Domus Pacis Pastoral Institute, Igoba, Akure, Ondo State, on Tuesday and entitled: “Groaning in Prayer and Action: Hope Shall Not Die in Nigeria.”
Having prayerfully deliberated on pertinent issues of Church and national interest, the communique jointly signed by the Chairman of the ecclesiastical province, Most Rev Leke Gabriel Abegunrin and Secretary, Most Rev John Oyejola, called on organisers of the protest to either maintain peace during the demonstration or call it off.
The bishops also charged security agents to maintain highest standard of civility and show restraint in discharging their duties and avoid violence and accidental deaths which unfortunately seem to have characterized past exercises in Nigeria.
They said, “Protests should cause no consternation in any normal democratic setting because the right of protest is guaranteed in true democracies all over the world. Protests are organised to draw the attention of governments and authorities to the opinion or demands of people or groups in society. In Nigeria, the impending protest has raised a furore of opinions regarding its legitimacy and expediency. Many believe that the protests are not a solution to Nigeria’s problems. They are right. Protests are not meant to provide solutions to problems. Protests are held as a last resort for citizens who have cried out for solutions to problems and have not been heeded. Protests are the last resort for amplifying the voice of those who feel oppressed. The protests in Nigeria should be made to serve that purpose and none other.
“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.
“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, 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. During this protest therefore relevant security organizations must show restraint and civility in discharging their duties and avoid violence and accidental deaths which unfortunately seem to have characterized past exercises in Nigeria.”
They called on all citizens to join hands and salvage Nigeria.
Meanwhile, the bishops said the religious depictions of Leonardo da Vincis “The Last Supper” painting with contemporary ideological figures that are clearly offensive to Christianity at the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games 2024 in France is shocking and disrespectful.
They stated that religious symbols and sentiments which touch people at their deepest levels of their being must never be disrespected or thrashed, saying, “to do this is to throw our humanizing and spiritual values and ideals to the dogs.”
On the painting that was desecrated, the bishops held, “Sadly, it is a perpetration of deliberate ongoing attempts in Europe and America to repurpose and demean Christian themes without regard for peace loving Christians who practice and profess their religion in peace. That this decadent caricature of one of the most cherished events of Christianity, “The Last Supper”, is publicized in France, a country with a rich and old Christian heritage, and at the Olympic games detracts from the status of the Olympics and belies all claims to enduring civility and respect for freedom of religion in the West.
“We have unfortunately occasionally witnessed similar disrespectful depictions and parody of religion and religious themes even here in our country. Such disrespect for religion and religious themes must not be allowed to take root in Nigeria. As Africans we have a great respect for the divine and for religious sentiments. Nothing must make us think that this constitutes part of our problem. Religion, faith and spirituality help people to deal with many fundamental issues of existence and therefore constitute a positive instrument. It is the abuse and misuse of religion faith and spirituality that cause harm and must be curbed.
“Regardless of what we go through as Africans we must never disrespect or thrash religious symbols and sentiments which touch people at their deepest levels of their being. To do this is to throw our humanizing and spiritual values and ideals to the dogs.”
