LIVESTOCK NOT MORE IMPORTANT THAN PEOPLE'S LIVES -CATHOLIC BISHOPS TELL BUHARI

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The Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) on Thursday visited President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa in Abuja and said his goodwill was being fast depleted by his administration's glaring failures.

CBCN President Most Rev. Dr. Ignatius Ayau Kaigama and  Archbishop of Jos, in his address made available to State House reporters, said they had the moral responsibility to bring those failures to the president's notice otherwise they would be failing in their duty as spiritual fathers and leaders.

"There is no doubt that when you came into office, you had an enormous amount of the goodwill of Nigerians, since many saw you as a person of integrity who would be able to bring sanity into a system that was nearly crippled by endemic corruption.

"Nearly three years later, however one has the feeling that this goodwill is being fast depleted by some glaring failures of government which we have the moral responsibility to bring to your notice, else we would be failing in our duty as spiritual fathers and leaders," he said.

The cleric, said there was too much suffering in the country in form of poverty, hunger, insecurity, violence, fear, among others.

He said the country appeared to be under siege as many negative forces seemed to be keeping a stranglehold on the population, especially the weaker and defenceless ones. 

"There is a feeling of hopelessness across the country. Our youths are restive and many of them have taken to hard drugs, cultism and other forms of violent crime, while many have become victims of human trafficking. The nation is nervous," he said.

Daily Trust reports that he expressed concern over attacks by suspected herdsmen in various parts of the country.

"Just as we seem to be gradually emerging from the dark tunnel of an economic recession that caused untold hardship to families and individuals, violent attacks by unscrupulous persons, among whom are terrorists masquerading as herdsmen, have led to a near civil war situation in many parts of the country.

"We are saddened that, repeatedly, innocent citizens in different communities across the nation are brutally attacked and their sources of livelihood mindlessly destroyed. Lives are wasted and property, worth billions of Naira, including places of worship, schools, hospitals and business enterprises are torched and turned to ashes."

He said they were more saddened by the recent massacre of unarmed citizens by these terrorists in some communities in Benue, Adamawa, Kaduna and Taraba States which, he noted, had caused national shock, grief and outcry. 

He said the silence of the federal government in the wake of these horrifying attacks was, to say the least, shocking, warning that "There is a feeling of helplessness among the people and the danger that some people may begin to take laws into their hands."  

Kaigama urged the government to take very seriously its primary responsibility of protecting the lives and property of its citizens and ensure that such mindless killings do reoccur. 

"Herdsmen may be under pressure to save their livestock and economy but this is never to be done at the expense of other people's lives and means of livelihood.

He said they were in support of the view by other well-meaning Nigerians that a better alternative to open grazing should be sought rather than introduce cattle colonies. 

"While thinking of how best to help cattle owners establish ranches, government should equally have plans to help the other farmers whose produce is essential for our survival as a nation," he added.

He also stated that "daredevil kidnappers, who at present are having a field day, with a feeling of invincibility, must be made to understand that there is a government in this country. Government should invest more in equipping our Police Force with modern high-tech devices that will help them track down and arrest these criminals and make them face the wrath of the law."

The Bishops also faulted the federal government's appointments and distribution of amenities as imbalanced. 

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