IBADAN, Federal Republic of Nigeria. Catholic bishops have expressed worry over non-payment of workers’ salaries by some governors in the country.
The bishops, under the aegis of Ibadan Ecclesiastical Province of Catholic Bishops, lamented that the situation had inflicted untold hardship on workers.
The clerics also advised the Federal Government to treat the issue of anticorruption crusade with caution to avoid punishing innocent people for the crimes of the guilty.
In a communiqué after their two-day second plenary meeting in Ibadan, with the theme “Keep Yahweh’s Attention”, the Catholic bishops stated: “We note that many Nigerians are happy to see the government fish out and prosecute looters of public funds. We encourage the government to stay focused on this important imperative of change.”
The communiqué, signed by the Archbishop of Ibadan, Most Rev. Gabriel Abegunrin and Bishop of Ekiti Diocese, Most Rev. Felix Ajakaye, President and Secretary respectively, was made available to journalists in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, yesterday.
They stated: “In pursuing this noble cause, however, Nigeria must avoid the endorsement of impunity. Two wrongs simply do not make a right and official lawlessness is always toxic for public sanity. As far as is possible, the rights and dignity of all accused people must be respected.” The bishops lamented that non-payment of workers’ salaries, had continued to foment considerable hardship on citizens in many states.
“We commend the states which have reached some sort of an agreement with their workers on the issue and are making serious effort to assuage the workers’ pains,” they added.
The bishops charged the governors concerned to deal with every citizen with respect and courtesy.
On insurgency, the bishops noted the reduction in killing by Boko Haram and those displaced by insurgency returning to their former homes but charged the Nigerian Army and the security forces to maintain and sustain the current general vigilance in those areas to forestall a re-occurrence.
Credit: National Mirror (Nigeria)
