Condemnation has been voiced by the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) towards the ‘insensitive’ handling of recent protests against hardship and bad governance by the federal government.
Gathered in Abuja, the bishops of the church criticized the government’s insensitivity to citizen’s plight and failure to address the root causes of the protests. They are calling for an immediate end to hunger and bad governance in the country.
The clerics also criticized the actions of security agents in killing protesters and called for the training and retraining of security forces.
In a statement released at the conclusion of the House of Bishops’ meeting, signed by Primate and Metropolitan of the Church, Most Rev’d Dr. Henry C. Ndukuba, and Rt. Rev’d Dr. Williams Aladekugbe, Episcopal Secretary, it was stated: “The protest is a clear message to governments at all levels, particularly the federal government, to listen to the people’s cries, without making scapegoats as no government can prevent hungry people from protesting.
“We strongly denounce the killing of protesters by security agents and insist on the training and retraining of our security forces in handling such situations as per acceptable standards.”
“We urge the government to promptly engage in meaningful discussions with the protesters, and swiftly devise immediate, short-term, and long-term strategies to alleviate the suffering of Nigerians.”
The clergy also raised concerns about the increasing incidents of kidnapping and banditry, stressing the need for the government to take decisive measures to ensure security and food stability in the nation.
In addition, they commended the recent Supreme Court judgment granting autonomy to local government areas and demanded its effective implementation.