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President Goodluck Jonathan has condemned recent utterances by highly placed Nigerians which he said are capable of tearing the country apart, even as Governor Gabriel Suswam of Benue State called on Catholic Bishops in the country to condemn the activities of religious zealots before they throw the country into turmoil.
The President who was represented by the Senate President, David Mark at
the opening ceremony of the second plenary session of All Nigeria Catholic Bishops held in Otukpo, Benue state yesterday said the present state of insecurity in the country has become a thing of worry over for the country and its allies.
Jonathan expressed concern over the way and manner access is being gotten to firearms even as people with sinister motives, he said are being trained on how to use arms.
Governor Suswam also urged the bishops to condemn same sex marriage as well as child marriage and tasked the national assembly not to be deterred in their struggle to ensure that the correct thing is done.
In his opening address, the President of Catholic Bishops of Nigeria, Most Rev Ignatius Kaigama expressed worry over clannish and ethnic ambition which he noted has become a destabilising factor in the country and called on the leadership to be sensitive to the needs of the poor to enable them live with dignity.
The country, he said should be thinking on how to improve the quality of life of the citizenry by eliminating the social issues of crimes that lead to death penalty for offenders rather than resorting to death penalty.
“The death penalty would be unnecessary if the root causes such as poverty and corruption were eliminated. We reject the death penalty as a panacea to crime. What needs death penalty is poverty and corruption in Nigeria, not human beings, “Kaigama stated.
By Sunday Ogli, Makurdi
