Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama
By Luminous Jannamike, Abuja
The Metropolitan Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, Most Rev. Ignatius Kaigama, has decried the killing of peaceful protesters by security operatives, calling for decisive action against the shedding of innocent blood.
Kaigama, in a statement issued on Wednesday, lamented the violence witnessed during the #EndSARS protests across the country, insisting that the authorities must take urgent and effective steps to arrest the situation.
The Archbishop, who said the death of any peaceful protester in the country should be a source of concern to all, called for a national dialogue as a means to ease the tension in the land.
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He stated, “It appears Nigeria has wallowed from one crisis to another, pursued misdirected policies and reaped sour political fruits.
“The youths feeling tired, crushed, desperate, frustrated, demoralized are asking: stop brutality; provide good governance; remove the monster of corruption; make life more bearable and reasonable.
“They are crying out for a new Nigeria. A new Nigeria is not impossible. The youth protest is like the proverbial gadfly stinging us to wakefulness as religious, traditional and political leaders.
“Because there is a time for everything, time has come for genuine introspection, critical self-analysis and inner purification.
“Truth must however be told. Things are not well. Something urgently and effectively must be done by the authorities. Dialogue is the way forward, a national conversation.
“All of us are guilty about what has happened to Nigeria and Nigerians, but we can work at it together. As long as there is life, there is hope.
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“Pointing the finger of blame will not solve the problem. The decay in which we find ourselves started decades ago.
“We can work at it with serenity, truthfulness, equity and justice. We cannot go on like this with brothers killing brothers and strangely celebrating it as an achievement.
“We seem to be our worst enemies. This reduces the quality of life for Nigerians. The need to talk openly, sincerely and to act in a positive and concrete manner is now!”
Vanguard
