Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri
Catholic faithful, in Imo State , on Tuesday, held a procession in major roads in the state to protest the killings of Nigerians especially Christians by suspected herdsmen in Benue and other parts of the country.
The Catholic priests were also joined by men, women, youths, and children drawn from the 27 local government areas of the state who marched along the major roads, carrying placards and banner with such inscriptions as ” Catholic Priests are against violence and killing of priests, “President Buhari resign if… ” .
Archbishop of Owerri, Anthony Obinna, who addressed newsmen shortly after the procession, regretted that many families have lost members to the rampaging herdsmen saying “We are having killings which doesn’t show that we have left the military era”.
According to him, “There have been intertribal marriages in Nigeria, and the people have lived in harmony until the rampaging herdsmen made cohabitation an issue”
The cleric charged President Muhammad Buhari to rise up to his responsibility of protection lives and properties, saying ” we want President Buhari to disarm these violent herdsmen and criminals. We know he is doing something but we need it to be more visible and impacting”.
He continued “President Buhari should know that he should be a father to everyone and not some as perceived. His subtle and real statements should be to protect every Nigerian”.
The cleric further charged security agencies to ensure adequate securities at all times . Do not harbour vipers as alleged by Gen T.Y. Danjuma, President Buhari and the security agencies should be on the same page”
It would be recalled that the archdiocese had earlier postponed its procession scheduled to hold May, 22 concurrently with other Catholic priests across the country.
Speaking on the 2019 elections, the Prelate urged the electorates to vote for “the least criminal, least deadly and least arrogant as their leaders in the forthcoming elections in the country.
According to him, the good ones are yet to be discovered , maintaining however that the country can not slide back into dictatorship.
In his own acronym , he said he regretted that there is ‘Severe Acute Rigging Syndrome (SARS)’, adding that there is “a bloody competition for power and money, adding that unless it is separated from each other, the killings may be more rampant.
Archbishop Obinna noted that there is currently no alternative to money politics and called on President Buhari to “look into it and make influence of money reduce especially as he tackles corruption .