Catholic Priests Meet in Kaduna over Insecurity

Catholic priests drawn from the 36 states of the federation and the Abuja yesterday commenced meeting in Kaduna over the spate of kidnapping, armed robbery, banditry and general insecurity in the country.

The meeting, which is still ongoing, is the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Nigeria Catholic Diocesan Priests’ Association.

However, the priests would discuss the spate of killings, kidnapping and other related crimes confronting the land.

The AGM holding at the Catholic Social Centre in the state capital, has as its theme: ‘The Imperative of Good Governance for a secure and Prosperous Nation.’

Earlier speaking in a church service preceding the event conducted at the Our Lady’s Parish along the Independence Way, the Archbishop of Kaduna Diocese, Most. Rev. Mathew Ndagoso- Manoso, urged the clerics to frankly discuss the security challenges bedevilling the country.

While noting that the theme of the AGM was apt, the cleric lamented the disturbing insecurity in the country.

This, he said, was due to lack of the presence of government and good governance in certain parts of the country particularly the North-east where the dreaded Boko Haram was still holding sway.

He argued that good governance and security were interwoven such that in the absence of one, the other suffered.

He added that the Nigeria leaders “should stop whatever they are doing and frontally confront the security challenges.”

“Insecurity starts from where there is absence of government. The absence of government in certain parts of the country has brought us to where we are today. Our problem has always been the management of resources of the land,” he added.

He also disclosed how Boko Haram had taken advantage of lack of government’s presence in the North-east, to render essential services to communities in the area.

This, he said, portend danger for the country against the backdrop of the federal government’s fight against terrorism.

He said, “Something is happening right now weather the government knows or not, is that the splinter group of the Boko Haram is providing services to the communities in Borno.

“They are collecting taxes because of the absence of government. This is dangerous,” he added.