You don’t decree peace, Archbishop Kaigama advises Buhari

The Coadjutor Archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja,  Most Rev. Dr. Ignatius Kaigama, has advised President Muhammadu Buhari not to impose Ruga (Fulani settlements) on local communities. The clergy, who was answering questions from journalists after he administered the Sacrament of Confirmation on 400 parishioners at SS Peter and Paul, Nyanya, Abuja, on Sunday, […]

The Coadjutor Archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja,  Most Rev. Dr. Ignatius Kaigama, has advised President Muhammadu Buhari not to impose Ruga (Fulani settlements) on local communities.

The clergy, who was answering questions from journalists after he administered the Sacrament of Confirmation on 400 parishioners at SS Peter and Paul, Nyanya, Abuja, on Sunday, said the establishment of the Fulani herders colonies in states across north central Nigeria should not be by a proclamation from the top.

“This is a matter that needs to be seriously discussed. It is not a matter for the pages of the newspaper. It has to be given a serious thought and consideration.

“You don’t decree peace, you don’t decree order. You brew it, you generate it by goodwill and good actions and I hope that the necessary stakeholders are involved and this is not just a proclamation from the top. The people need to sit at the grassroots and address these issues concretely, objectively and for the interest of all of us in Nigeria. I think we need to do a lot of talking,” he said.

He also called for collaborative efforts to end extreme poverty in the country.

“I have experience overtime, the number of people I meet in the villages and those who come to my office  seeking  material help is incredible,” he said, adding that  time has come to join forces, spiritual and material, to defeat poverty.

The archbishop said the religious leaders have done their part and he expected politicians to also do their own part.

“It is their duty; it is their responsibility to see to the social welfare of our people. It is not enough to look at the interest of those at the top. I am talking about those at the grassroots, there is poverty, extreme poverty and we must join forces to defeat it. We can because we have the blessings of God, we have the resources and we can do something. Let there be political will, and let there be consideration for humanity and it will work,” he added.

He also told the 400 confirmed catholic faithful to go to the world and make a difference, saying  they can make a difference once they shine out as the light of Christ.

The parish also marked its patron saint’s feast and cultural day with traditional cuisines and cultural dances across Nigeria on display after the Holy Mass.

The Parish Priest of SS Peter and Paul, Rev. Fr. Kale Francis, said the significance of the cultural day was to underscore the fact that the church was a community of diverse ethnicities and there was the need to come together and celebrate common friendship.