Olakunle Olafioye
Catholic faithful across the country last week staged a peaceful protest against incessant killings in the country, which they felt that the government was feigning helplessness in stopping the bloodletting.Monsignor Gabriel Osu, director of communication, Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos, in this interview sheds more light on the development and the major issues affecting the nation as whole. Excerpt:
How significant would you say is the protest embarked upon by Catholic faithful last week?
The protest is very significant not only to the Catholics, but also to all Nigerians and to the world at large. Life is so sacred everywhere in the world, but when lives become very cheap, we just have to stand up and say enough is enough. The rate at which people are being killed, the way people are being murdered in the country on daily basis – between January to this time – more than 500 people have been killed, so we just have to stand up and say enough is enough. So, it is very significant not to Catholics alone, not to Christians alone, the Muslims are also being killed, other people are being killed so that is why we are bringing it to the doorstep of the government because they have been keeping mum, they don’t want to talk about it because they feel it is the normal thing.
Since the killings also affect other Christians and even non-Christians alike, some may wonder why the protest was not carried out in conjunction with other Christians or at best with the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).
The Christian Association of Nigeria did it few weeks ago. Even other pastors, other priests speak against it everyday. The Catholic just decided to say okay let us send the message to Abuja.
Does it mean that the Catholic had problem associating with CAN when it staged its own?
No, the Catholic had no problem with CAN when they did theirs. The difference there is that all Catholic churches in the nation did it the same day in solidarity with those killed on the day they were being buried, we agreed that all of us should say the Mass and protest to the Head of State that day and to the different governors. That is just the difference.
Christians are not reputed to staging protests in confronting challenging situations such as this. Rather, their known weapon of warfare is prayer. What informed the resort to protest or does it mean prayer has failed in this context?
That is a wrong assumption. Christians have always defended their rights. You don’t wait for them to cut off your neck before you pray. Prayers-cum-action work together. Christians in Nigeria might not have been faced with the need for self-defense as it is now. But with the way it is mostly in the northern part, Benue, Makurdi… it is a wrong assumption to say Christians are not known to taking action like this, they must defend themselves and that is what is happening. You don’t stay in your house and somebody comes with a dagger to cut off your head you just have to defend yourself. Right to self-preservation is there, one, then self-defense too.
What was the feeling like after the protest, are you confident that the protest would yield the desired result?
Why should I not be confident? If it doesn’t yield the needed result and the government pretends as if nothing happens, soon or later they will know. ‘Who no know’ Fela said ‘they will know’. I am confident that they have got the message. Not only that they should get the message, they should act upon it to ensure these killings stop. Too many killings; human blood is being wasted here and there. So, that is what we are calling on them to do. Not hearing and pretending not knowing what to do.
Apart from the protest, what other possible actions do you have in place to drive home you point?
We will continue to be talking, we are not military people; we won’t stop talking hoping that it will yield positive results, we will keep talking so that the new rulers, people who will rule us next will listen to us.
Are you insinuating that this current situation may consume the government in power?
Anything can happen. If they keep on killing, I don’t need to be a prophet to say that. If they keep on killing non-stop, what else do you think can happen? But again, that decision is in God’s hands not in my own hands.
Some are of the opinion that the killing-spree in the country is more of spiritual warfare and thus requires spiritual solution. Do you share this sentiment?
It is everything combined, politics and religious combined. In the northern part of the country between religion and politics. They are mixed together; all kinds of things mixed together. Ignorance, lack of education all combined together in the part of the country. We have Muslims in Lagos, we have Muslims in Ghana, we have Muslims in the South. All I am trying to say is that in the northern part there is very thin line between religion and politics.
Do you share the feeling that any time a particular religious group is attacked, the underlying motive is just to instigate them against each other?
My feeling is that ignorance is just the order of the day in this part of the world. It’s not strictly religion parse. The leaders seize the opportunity of the ignorance of the people to foment trouble. That is the problem. I don’t share that view. We have Christians and Muslims here. We inter-marry, we attend the same schools yet we don’t have problems with ourselves. Why the problem exists in the other part is that they say they don’t want Western education. In a situation where you don’t want that, what we are witnessing now will be part of the fallouts.