Hasten Release of Chibok, Dapchi Girls, Anglican Bishops Tell FG

Laleye Dipo in Minna

Anglican Bishops have told the federal government to hasten the release of the Dapchi and Chibok school girls from Boko Haram captivities.

Rising from their 10th synod at St. Peters Cathedral in Minna, Niger State at the weekend, the Bishops made the appeal in a communique they released after the synod in which they decried the continued incarceration of the innocent girls.

The communique said the girls had been deprived of the good things of life especially education, good health and parental care for too long and as such, the federal government should intensify the negotiations that would facilitate their release.

The communique signed by Bishop Daniel A Yisa, chairman of the conference and chief host, said the government should also find immediate and lasting solutions to the senseless killings by armed men and herdsmen in several parts of the country particularly in Benue, Nassarawa, Plateau, Taraba, Enugu, Zamfara and Adamawa States.

The clergymen said the development had resulted in “needless loss of innocent lives, wanton destruction of properties and creation of more IDP camps and other problems”.

It further suggested that the federal government should “pursue with renewed vigour the settlement of nomadic pastoralists in self contained permanent ranches without infringing on the farmlands of the native communities”.

On the proposed new national minimum wage, the synod appreciated the ongoing negotiation between government and the labour unions on the issue and advised “all parties in the negotiation to be Godly, considerate and realistic and consider the impact on all Nigerians”.

The Synod urged the government to invest massively in areas of common good for all Nigerians by improving access to opportunities, road construction, improvement of the nation’s health institutions, elimination of corrupt practices, timely payment of pensioners and clearance of salary arrears, among others, which will further improve the lives of Nigerians.