This position is contained in the communiqué of the First plenary meeting of the CBCN, themed: “Catholic Church: Promoting Mercy, Social Justice and Peace” and jointly signed by Rev Ignatius Ayau Kaigama and Rev William A. Avenya, President and Secretary of CBCN respectively. The Bishops said the government must hold the guilty accountable in accordance with the laws of the land. It however added that legal efforts are not enough, thus the need for all Nigerians to contribute to tackling corruption and other challenges facing the nation. “We recognize the efforts of the Nigerian government, the Military and other Security Agencies in degrading Boko Haram Insurgency, especially in the North Eastern part of Nigeria. Yet, there are strings of attacks in soft targets such as Internally Displaced Persons camps, markets and parks. We encourage the government and security agencies to do all they can to defeat insurgents and prevent further loss of lives. “We equally enjoin government and all Nigerians, to seek alternative strategies towards ending terrorism and thus win them over to our communities. We commend the initiative of the Federal Government towards rehabilitation of the Boko Haram victims. We also urge the government not to lose sight of the destroyed properties of all affected groups including the religious bodies, and request that the composition of relevant committees would include religious leaders in the North East, who are already working hard in this regard,” the Bishops said. The also call for immediate and sustain diversification of the nation’s economy and to invest more in grassroots economic infrastructure that promote small and medium scale industry and enterprise.]]>