The Bishop of Ondo Catholic Diocese, Jude Arogundade, on Sunday called on the Federal Government to be more proactive in the protection of lives and property of citizens.
Arogundade made the call while delivering his sermon at the reopening of St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, which was shut down after some suspected terrorists attacked and killed no fewer than 40 worshippers with several others injured in the church. The church was down for about 10 months.
The bishop, who expressed dismay over the attack on the church last year, said government had failed and should apologise to Nigerians over the unprovoked attack which claimed lives and injured unsuspecting worshippers.
He said, “We have to call ourselves back to the greater understanding of what is happening in our society today. I have never seen a nation so comfortable watching the killings of its citizens on a daily basis in hundreds and nothing has been done for the past 15 years.
“It doesn’t happen in other places. I don’t know why the government has refused to apologise to the citizens they failed. A government which failed or cannot protect its citizens is not worthy to be called a government.
“I wish to say this without fear of anyone that the government of this country has failed us and you, pressmen, should record me very well; they have failed in the area of protecting the lives and property of the people.
“Almost on a daily basis we hear people being killed in their tens and hundreds; many people have even forgotten what happened in this church 10 months ago, because many more have happened without the world paying attention.
“The government must wake up and show strength and courage and make sure those who carried out the evil attack that took place in this church and the evil going around our country are brought to book and punished accordingly.”
The bishop urged the leaders piloting the affairs of the country to frontally tackle bloodletting killings, kidnapping, banditry and other crimes.
