By Franca Ofili
Rev. Sister. Angelis Ezeagwu has called on the Federal Government to convene an all political and security experts summit where solution could be provided to insecurity in the country.
Ezeagwu made the call in Abuja when giving a talk to the laity of SS
Peter and Paul Catholic Church, Nyanya, Abuja, on the occasion of 2020 laity week celebration.
Catholic laity are the ordinary members of the Catholic Church who are
neither clergy nor recipients of Holy Orders or vowed to life in a
religious order or congregation
She said during her paper presentation titled, “Way out of Insecurity
in Nigeria’’ that security was essential for justice and peace,
national cohesion, growth and sustainable development.
She called on the Federal Government to declare national state of emergency in the security sector in other to make insecurity in the country a national challenge rather than problem of the ruling political party.
Ezeagwu listed the kind of insecurity ravaging the country to include: boko haram insurgency, Fulani herdsmen and farmers or community residents conflicts, ritual killing, kidnapping, armed robbery and pipeline vandalism.
Other, she said, are human trafficking, inflation, unemployment,
injustices, banditry, corruption, religious fanacism among
others.
“The worst is that we are not telling ourselves the truth, our
leaders refused to accept the extent of the insecurity in Nigeria.
“They make the whole world believe that issues of insecurity is
usually exaggerated by political opponents or the press while in actual sense, the nation is daily losing more lives than countries at war,’’ she said.
According to her, as a nation the country have abandoned God and we have taken God for granted because He is a merciful God. The nation must return to God.
She said that at this point in time, the country must stop pretending if this entity called Nigeria will survive.
“The truth is that politicians and political parties are mainly behind most cases of violence and insecurity whether of the religious, ethnic, social or regional kind.
“If they are able to calm their thugs down, collect all their arms, reorient and give meaningful employment, insecurity will drastically reduce,’’ Ezeagwu said.
She said that elections should be free and fair in the actual sense of it and that citizens must be allowed to choose their leaders, adding that politics should not be do or die affair.
According to her, relevant laws should be promulgated and enforced without fear or favour while good policies should be implemented and followed to a logical conclusion
“Leader should work with the fear of God and then govern in a way that promotes life and foster respect for themselves as well as the led.
She advocated for political position to be made less lucrative in terms of salaries, allowances, immunity among others.
”We will then discover that only the selfless who really want to serve and make Nigeria take its rightful place will be interested in leadership and political posts.
“Productive economy should be emphasized, opportunities should be created where Nigerians can enjoy credit facilities to enable them have fund to develop their talents and ideas.
“In as much as we encourage foreign investors, it should not be to the detriment of our own indigenous investors.
“We much checkmate foreign investors who employ Nigerians to know the kind of treatment our people receive,’’ she said.
According to her, quota system and socialisation is not helping matters, it gives rise to gross injustice as such should stop.
Ezeagwu said that without justice, there can be no peace and once justice and peace is absent, trust will disappear and insecurity will give way indefinitely.
She said in order to address the problem of herdsmen the Government should use the money budgeted for establishment of cattle ranches all over the country to plant trees and grass in all northern states.
According to her it will enable the herdsmen settle in the north and also middle belt, while the southerners will be able to concentrate fully in their agricultural sector.
“We need food in the country not only meat,’’ she said.
She called on religious leaders to work tirelessly to train their members in their faith to follow peace and not telling them just what they want to hear.
She added that self-security and defence cannot be overemphasized, saying watch and prayer is what the Bible says. (NAN)
Credit: NAN