The Catholic Bishop of Enugu Diocese, Most Reverend Calistus Onaga, has appealed to agitators in the South East to suspend the sit-at-home order imposed on the region.
Onaga made the appeal on Sunday at the opening ceremony of the second Plenary Meeting of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) in Enugu.
The cleric said the sit-at-home order, which the intentions were not clearly stated, was capable of causing more hardship to the people, if not suspended.
The Catholic Bishop wondered why the agitators, who claimed to be protecting the interest of the poor masses of South East, would turn around to inflict pains on them at the same time.
“The various leaders of ethnic agitations and interest groups should take care not to employ methods to contradict their intentions in any way or try to reduce their intentions.
“They should take example from those, who have done that in the past. Martin Luther king who died for the Blacks did not punish those he was fighting for.
“Even Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu used his father’s wealth to look for our independence, yet he did not come back to demand return from any of us.
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“When you make us afraid, those you feel you are protecting, what will happen when you get the Independence?
“This part of the world is known for business, this part of the world is known for education and you tell us to sit-at-home, doing what?
“What of the parents, who will need to sell their goods in order to train their children, you tell them to sit-at-home. Is that the way we can progress,” he queried.
Onaga also bemoaned the lopsidedness adopted by the security arresting criminals in the country; development he noted seems as if some Nigerians are loved than others.
The Enugu diocesan bishop wondered why the security operatives could travel to other countries to arrest Nigerians, yet they could not arrest those terrorising farmers in the forest.
While enumerating the achievement of the diocese since its creation in 1962, the bishop pointed out that the diocese had 1.4 million Catholic faithful, 616 priests, including those working in the diocese as well as 266 parishes.
In his message, the Enugu State Governor, Mr. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, thanked the bishops for choosing the state for the conference and for their prayers for unceasing prayers, wise counsel, support and solidarity.
Ugwuanyi assured the clerics that his administration would continue to serve the state with the fear of God adding that the spiritual event would herald blessings for the people and government of the state. (NAN)
