…Says  insecurity issues CBCN raised with President still linger

The Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, Ignatius Kaigama, has asked that security agencies be given free hand to deal with  spate of killings in Plateau, Benue and other parts of the country.

He spoke in an interview on Hard Copy, a Channels Television’s programme, against the backdrop of incessant killings in the country and what seemed the inability of security agencies to deal with the situation.

The Archbishop, who alleged that security agents were often stopped by directives from top echelon of government not to take action against those involved in the killings, said:  ‘’We need to be sincere, but beginning with the authorities.

‘’When you send security agents there to deal with these issues, you should give them a free hand to do so, but you would most times hear a general or senior police officer telling you they haven’t had directives from Abuja yet, or they’re about to do something and they were asked to stop.

‘’I conversed with one general who was retired prematurely. I would say, he told me how he was ready to deal decisively with the situation, he was ready to penetrate the nooks and crannies of where these crooks were hiding, and he was doing it, but before you know it, somebody would say ‘Oh this man has come here to kill people of our religion or people of our tribe’.

‘’Then, an instruction comes from Abuja saying, ‘Okay, he’s not being helpful, so remove him,’ and that is how they go one by one.

‘’But is that the solution? Before the criminals came, they (security agents) were better armed and remember it is their profession to kill, so even if you arm yourself, they come better prepared, so what does your arm do?’’

On the meeting by Catholic Bishops with Tinubu on the situation in the country, he said: ‘’Well, we usually have many meetings, and you know that in Nigeria when things happen, you set up committees, and probably that is where it ends.

‘’But for meeting with Mr. President, it was not the first time we met him. We met him even before he became President. When he was campaigning, I remember two or so weeks before the elections, we met him and we had a one-on-one encounter.

‘’We engaged him, gave him a memo and told him what we wanted to see in a new Nigeria. We just went to him to remind him in March; it was the reminder to tell him. ‘What we told you, we still stand by them,’ and those who don’t understand the Catholic church and how we operate, some of them thought, oh, we went there to collect some envelopes.

‘’It’s a very terrible insult to the integrity of the Catholic bishops. We know how to get money if we want to, and any money we get, goes back to the people; we give it out.’’

Asked why the issues raised with President have not been addressed. Bishop Kaigama said:  ‘’Well, it’s well known to everybody, the insecurity in the country, the poverty, the hunger, the prices of things, and all that. If they have changed, you would know. I don’t need to tell you, but we did do that, we didn’t go there for our private interests. We didn’t go there to seek contracts or to ask for money or anything.

‘’Each time we go to the Presidency, remember he’s not the first president we have visited.  From the time of (the late Sani) Abacha, (Chief Olusegun) Obasanjo, (Musa) Yar’adua, we’ve gone consistently to speak on behalf of the people, but those who are so worldly minded and very parochial in their thinking believe that when you step your foot into  Government House, you have gone to ask for money. I say what a terrible insult.’’