*says his ideals live on
By; JACOB ONJEWU DICKSON
The Southern Kaduna Peoples Union, (SOKAPU) has said that it received with shock the demise of Most Rev. (Dr) Joseph Danlami Bagobiri, Bishop of the Catholic Dioceses of Kafanchan, early Tuesday February 27, 2018, even as the group said it celebrates his contributions to humanity.
This was expressed in a statement signed by its National PRO, Mr Yakubu Kuzamani.
“As sad as the moment is, we celebrate the life of Bishop Bagobiri for the exceptional acts of selfless services he rendered to his people, community and humanity in general,” it stated.
SOKAPU said that when obvious existential threats hung over his people and quality voices were being drowned out by forces of injustice, he spoke bold truth to tyranny and he was never afraid of confronting oppressive forces.
“He poured himself into standing for the physical and spiritual needs of the subjugated and despite threats of arrest from those not comfortable with his noble decision to stand with his people, he trudged on with honest resilience, choosing to endure all for the sake of truth.
“Bishop Bagobiri has gone to take his rest, but the ideals of justice, freedom and fairness he championed while alive,will continue to resonate with all men and women of goodwill.
“Consequently, based on his non-violent philosophy of demanding for justice, we call on the people of Southern Kaduna and the entire state to continue to work for a better and just society. The vacuum created by his death can only get larger when others don’t step in to fill it,” the statement noted.
The group said while they condole with the Gwong people, the Catholic faithful and the Church over this loss, SOKAPU requests all to take solace in the fact that he lived his life to the full for a better tomorrow.
“In addition, we also want to condole with the people of Kajuru Local Government Area over the unfortunate incidence in Kasuwan Magani. We are saddened by the alarming level of mayhem that has been unleashed in the area and surrounding villages. We are keenly watching the role the security agencies played before , during and even now in Kasuwan Magani and environs with regards to this unsavoury incidence,” it pointed out.
The group said that the time has come for the security agencies to develop capacity to protect and defend people, and to do so in an impartial manner.
“We are worried by the constant tardiness of the security agencies and we are forced once again to ask the poignant question whether or not the security agencies are in want of the basic skills to develop more proactive measures in nipping such incidences in the bud rather than the reactionary manner that has sadly come to define most of their operations.
‘Meanwhile, we pray for comfort to those who lost loved ones and speedy recovery to the injured,” it concluded.
