Ugo Nosiri, Owerri
President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, CBCN, Most Rev. Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji, has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to dissuade heads of state of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, from using military might to subdue the coup plotters in Niger Republic.
Archbishop Ugorji made the appeal at Mary Mother of God Catholic Parish , Ngor Okpala LGA, Imo State, while speaking on the marching order given by ECOWAS heads of states to the Niger coup plotters which expired Sunay.
The CBCN President noted that the Although ECOWAS heads of state are right in condemning the coup, they should be mindful not to make any move that would cause war, thereby leading to loss of lives, as two wrongs do not make a right.
“We are begging President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to dissuade ECOWAS heads of state, to resist the temptation of going to war, against the coup plotters. We beg them to stop the imminent bloodshed that will trail the military intervention.
“We have wasted a lot of human blood in Africa. We have also wasted precious human lives in Nigeria and we cannot continue in this ugly fashion, for whatever reason.”
“For now, we don’t know who is sponsoring the coup plotters. We equally do not know who is behind the decision of the ECOWAS heads of state. This may be a story for another day.
“The media is awash with the news of some countries that have already declared their full support for the country and their military strongmen. Russia may also be there, without our knowing.
Archbishop Ugorji recalled how Nigeria not only played a major role during the ECOMOG expedition but also bore the brunt of the losses in human and material resources.
He maintained that palliative measures do not cure economic hardship just as wars do not resolve misunderstandings. He therefore called for dialogue instead of a full scale war, which nobody can precisely tell when it will end.
The CBCN President reminded the Federal Government that if Niger is attacked, Nigeriene citizens will scamper into Nigeria for safety.
Archbishop Ugorji, however, urged Nigerians to remain steadfast despite tribulations, trials, temptations and suffering, and live as one family in love and stop all the killings going on in several states of the federation.
