The Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) has advised the federal government, Labour and civil society organisations to engage in sincere dialogue to reach an agreement in resolving the fuel subsidy impasse.
A statement by Archbishop Felix Alaba Job, Catholic Archbishop of Ibadan and president of CBCN, said the bishops were worried by the situation in the country and had deemed it necessary to counsel all parties.
“As things are, every responsible Nigerian is very concerned about the current situation.
In some places, it is clear that the strike has been hijacked by rogues, hoodlums and persons that have other interests.
“What started out as an expression of our democratic right and the opportunity for ordinary people to make inputs into a policy affecting them has unfortunately turned rather ugly.Therefore, in the spirit of our much cherished democracy, we call on all sides to return to the dialogue table.’’
He said that the stability of the nation should be uppermost against the backdrop of daunting challenges posed by the Boko Haram sect.
“We must not offer those who do not wish our nation well an opportunity to exploit these conditions,’’ he added.