Osinbajo to Catholic bishops: Don’t only speak to govt, speak to non-state actors causing violence

Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo has called on the Catholic bishops not only to speak to the government in power, but also to some non-state actors who he said may be propagating a good cause, but their actions had led to the destruction of lives and properties.

The Vice President said this at the 4th Plenary Assembly of the Reunion of Episcopal Conference of West Africa (RECOWA) Conference held in Abuja.

“Over the years, the Church has modelled profound approaches in challenging the impunity of some state actors and errant power.

“But my Lords, I believe the times also call for speaking to the growing numbers of violent non-state actors, some propagating genuine causes but with mindless violence often leading to the destruction of lives and property,” he said.

Osinbajo said this conference can also supply a moral and spiritual consensus that undergirds the project of integration.

He said the ECOWAS region introduced the ECOWAS passport and protocols that allow citizens of member states to go from one of our countries to the other and spend up to 90 days at a time.

He said ECOWAS has Trade Liberalization Scheme (ETLS) to promote economic relations within the sub-region offering unhindered market access to the fifteen member countries.

“But our goals of unity and integration have always been thwarted not just by concerns of individual sovereignty of our nations but also by internal crisis and social conflicts in our nations and around the borders.

“Today Our region is passing through a season of considerable political, economic and social turmoil. Terrorism and violent banditry afflict many of our nations and especially in the Sahel.

“In the aftermath of the COVID 19 pandemic, many of our economies have been weakened, while unemployment has escalated and poverty has deepened. Since 2017, there have been 12 military coups in Africa and half of them have occurred since 2020.

“Historically in times like these, parochial prejudices are heightened and the fabric of cohesion becomes frayed as people retreat into ethnic, religious and other nativist camps.

“Those that do not speak our language or subscribe to our faith come under great suspicion and they soon become scapegoats for all our challenges. And ethnic, religious and separatist conflicts are rife”, Professor Osinbajo added.

The President of RECOWA, Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama, in his address, said the theme of our plenary: Fratelli Tutti: Path to Brotherhood and Sustainable Peace in West Africa, is inspired by the encyclical letter of Pope Francis, which he said “invites us to fraternal relationships, rethinking, finding or rebuilding the “WE”.

He said the theme “calls us all to the conversion of our being and our actions for a true fraternity and a sincere peace; it invites leaders to see governance in terms of service and for all of us to be conscious of the question posed to Cain in Genesis 4:9, “where is your brother?”

“We are gathered in Abuja for a week to pray, to reflect and to take stock of the activities carried out by RECOWA, in order to design the roadmap for the next three years.

He said in West Africa, political governance in many cases is unfortunately not about service based on charity, justice, truth and transparency.

Kaigama said the sub-region is faced with issues of youth unemployment, religious and ethnic crises, climate change, land grabbing; diseases even more deadly than the Covid-19 pandemic, money spent on arms instead of using it to remedy the crippling effect of hunger and foster development; terrorist attacks, kidnappers’ menace, corruption.

He charged leaders to use political power to create good governance rather than for personal advancement or allow religious, ethnic, economic or political interests to subordinate to the common good.

“Leaders must enthrone merit, share resources equitably, and do away with the virus of corruption and self-centeredness.

“Christian and Muslim leaders must go beyond courteous formalities to employ practical measures to foster Muslim/Christian dialogue instead of media confrontation or even mutual physical hostility. We must look out for the interest of one another (cf. Phil. 2:3),” he added.

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