In its Monday edition, one of Nigeria’s mass circulation daily newspapers, Vanguard, has extensively quoted the President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, CBCN, Archbishop Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji, who has called on Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to dissuade ECOWAS Heads of States from using military might to subdue the coup plotters in the Niger Republic
The ECOWAS ultimatum
West Africa’s economic block ECOWAS’s seven days ultimatum for the reinstatement of deposed President Mohamed Bazoum in Niger expired Sunday, plunging the country and the entire West African region into uncertainty about what would come next.
Archbishop Ugorji called on ECOWAS Chair and Nigeria’s President, Bola Tinubu, to advise members of ECOWAS to take a more diplomatic approach to the crisis in Niger.
Nigerians, in general, also seem opposed to the invasion of Niger, fearing possible escalation that would affect their country and the whole West African region.
We have wasted a lot of human blood in Africa
“At the end of their meeting, they (ECOWAS Heads of States) gave the coup plotters one week to restore democratic leadership in Niger or risk military intervention. This marching order expires today (yesterday),” the Owerri prelate told parishioners.
He continued, “They reasoned that it is wrong to change government by force. They are correct, but we also believe that shedding precious human blood is equally wrong. Two wrongs can never make a right,” emphasised Archbishop Ugorji.
Bishop’s plea to President Tinubu
“We are begging President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to dissuade ECOWAS Heads of States 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,” said the Archbishop of Owerri.
“While we say no to coup d’etat, we also say no to war, for whatever reason. We say no manipulation of election results because it is also another shade of coup d’etat. ECOWAS Heads of States should please, think of what should be the fate of the organisation if they begin military intervention in Niger,” Ugorji said.
Source: Vatican News
