Catholic priests flay FG’s inability to curb insecurity

Nigeria Catholic Diocesan Priests Association (NCDPA) has condemned government’s inability to curb insecurity in the country.

They over 100 Catholic priests under the association, who met in Kaduna yesterday, insisted that bad governance could give rise to poverty.

Archbishop of Kaduna Catholic Diocese, Matthew Ndagoso, charged government to improve the economic and social conditions of the citizenry, stressing that the level of poverty and insecurity in the country should be everyone’s concern.

“Where there is insecurity and kidnapping is where there is lack of good governance. Today, some parts of our country experience good governance.

“There is total absence of good governance, and that is why we as a people are experiencing poverty, insecurity and so on. Where there is absence of government, people will use such places as launching pad for trouble and criminal acts. There is enough resources in this country; we are where we are today because government is not sharing the resources equitably,” he stated.

In the keynote lecture entitled, ‘The Imperative of Good Governance for a Secure and Prosperous Nation’, Fr. Raymond Aina decried the level of insecurity and the country’s listing as number 16 in the international poverty index.

Aina queried: “Where did Nigeria take the wrong turn? What is the root of its problems? Is it with its leadership or the followership? Have its resources been its undoing or is it the inability of the ruling elite to manage or distribute these resources in a prudent, accountable and transparent manner? What went wrong?

“How can government continue to appear helpless in the face of such shameful tragedy? Steps need to be taken to arrest this drift before total anarchy and mayhem consume the entire nation.”

The insecurity experienced in Nigeria, according to him, is a condition of danger that gives rise to lack of confidence, protection and safety.

“This condition threatens human life, communities and sometimes even the state through relentless aggression,” he added.

In his goodwill message, Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna explained: “Good governance for a secure and prosperous nation is a huge task. It is a collective responsibility for both the government and the governed.”