The catholic Bishop of Awka Diocese, Rev Dr Paulinus Ezeokafor has faulted President Jonathan for insisting that there will be no-go-areas in the ongoing national conference.
Ezeokafor, who spoke with journalists, said the members of the National Conference should be given a free hand to discuss any issue that has been a source of worry to the various ethnic groups, with a view addressing all the problems being faced by the country once and for all.
He maintained that leaving the delegates to delve into sensitive matters does not mean that their deliberations would be taken hook line and sinker, but limiting them from discussing certain things may cause the problems of various sections of the country to persist.
“We thank God that the conference is on now, and to me I believe it is the best thing that has happened to our country, Nigeria. It will offer opportunity for people to reassess what had been, what should be and what will be as a nation.
“Even though in families, once in a while people come together to discuss their well being and fashion a way forward for themselves, like wise a country like Nigeria should also take time as it is in the national conference to discuss things about us.
“In fact, for me, there should not be any area that should be marked as a no-go-area in the conference, every area should be discussed and let the people bare their minds, so that we will know what the various ethnic groups want.
“Even though not everything that they want will be given to them, just like not everything a child wants is good for it. Let the people discuss everything, and at the end of the day, let the country know what and what should be used.
“But if you say don’t discuss this, only this and this, you do not know if those things are the things that are causing problem in Nigeria”, Ezeokafor said.
Speaking further, the clergy man said it was not true that Nigeria is fast going down the abyss as some opposition political parties have said.
He insisted that save for the security situation, things are actually taking a better turn in Nigeria, and that this will be noticed in the future.
He commended the federal government under President Goodluck Jonathan, saying that he is actually trying in his avowed stand to stamp insurgency in the country.
He called on all Nigerians to lend a hand in the fight against terrorism as anyone could be a victim of it.
“We need to be very vigilant, and as NAFDAC will say shine your eyes. You must look and police your own environment. You know the other day, I was reading and I saw a man who has a shed in the main market, Onitsha, and he has been there for 15 years, selling arms and ammunitions, and I asked myself how can this man have hid in the market for so long a time, except that our people are not their brothers keepers.
“People do what they want to do, and everyone minds their business, but if we are very vigilant, we will be our brothers keeper and report anything that is not right to the police.
“So I am asking that as we rejoice this Easter, we should also rise from our cold nature and be ready to work for Nigeria”.
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