The Archbishop Emeritus of the Catholic
Archdiocese of Lagos, Cardinal Anthony Olubunmi
Okogies, has asked President Muhammadu Buhari
to urgently retool, refocus and aggressively lead
by example on all fronts or risk plunging Nigeria
into a state of despondency.
In a statement released by the Director of Social
Communications of the Diocese, Monsignor Gabriel
Osu, Okogie accused the president of waging a
shoddy corruption war and acting disdainfully
towards the judicial authorities while millions of
Nigerians were left to face unimaginable social
problems.
“He must retool, refocus and aggressively face the
social, economic (fiscal and monetary) problems
we have head on, without letting the anti
corruption drive look like a political distraction,”
the cardinal noted. Expressing disenchantment
with the president’s style, Okogie said: “A snail
paced and disordered methodology in governance,
his apparent disdain for judicial authority and
decisions, a lost today found tomorrow 2016
budget debacle, and a rather rudderless and
confused Central Bank with an unclear monetary
policy strategy (inevitably increasing the economic
uncertainties being faced by Nigerians), have set
alarm bells ringing in my mind and in the minds
of many discerning Nigerians.
“Indeed, his perceived discordant relationship
with the leadership of the Legislature has many
naysayers chuckling and remarking that President
Buhari’s government is heading rather naturally,
into his comfort zone – a one man show.”
Okogie also noted that a lot of Nigerians are
beginning to feel that Buhari is fast transforming
this nation into a police state where Mr.
President, the EFCC and DSS rule the day.
His words: “What they say is given lurid
headlines in the media, and it seems to all that
some of the defendants/accused persons are being
tried in the press with information conveniently
slipping into the hands of the press, presumably
from the security agencies, even before such
people have been charged to court.” He also
frowned on the President’s refusal to heed court
pronouncements regarding the bail granted to the
Director of Radio Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu and former
National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki.
He said: “The Pro-Biafran activist, Nnmadi Kanu
and the erstwhile NSA Sambo Dasuki were
granted bail by the courts but such bails were
disregarded by the security agents under Buhari’s
watch. Unfortunately, democracy is difficult and
this government must realise that democracy
pervasively coloured with impunity, arbitrariness
and high handedness, cannot be used to fight and
correct the financial impunity and reckless
abandon of the previous administration, even if it
is more difficult to do so, the rule of law must be
obeyed and be the order of the day.
“If Buhari wants to leave a creditable legacy come
2019 he should retool the bureaucracy. For
instance, the roof of the Central Bank is leaking
water.
Governors, who arm-twisted Okonjo Iweala into
signing out our reserves held by Central Bank, are
today ministers in the APC government. We are
still talking about change and corruption when old
things refuse to pass away! These political
gimmicks can only carry away gullible or naive
Nigerians. President Buhari should beam his flash
light on policies and programmes that will lift up
the Masses. “Existing industries are almost dead
and call for urgent revitalization.
The budget ought to aid solutions to the mass
unemployment, Rural-Urban migration,
skewedness in the distribution of income, abject
rural poverty and industrialization of rural
economy.
The 774 local government capitals should be
linked to their state capitals. Even the mind
boggling infrastructure deficits can take the
entire tenure to address.
The weakness in the bureaucracy has not been
addressed. Consequently, the problem the APC
government is trying to solve is bound to re-occur
because it is treatment of effect rather than the
cause. Causative factors are being totally ignored
or glossedover. Institutional weakness pervades
the MDAs, offices of the Accountant General,
Auditor General and the Central Bank itself.” He
observed that leakages in the economy had
remained unnoticed and unplugged over the last
16 years of uninterrupted democracy.
“Our Change must change something. How could
we continue to talk of change in a static system?
How could we be talking of change when the
same crew are governors, ministers, senators, and
members of the House of Representatives?
This is a cyclical devolution of power to the same
people who are never out of power! “What sort of
change is the President talking about? When will
the youth take over when even a governor does
not take a bow and go? When shall we plan for
the replacement of delinquent leadership? This is
what constitutes change.
Change is not changing from Jonathan to Buhari,
Okoie asked. According to the Cardinal, “Change
is behavioural and pervades all levels of society
including the family, the church, the mosque,
schools, market women and business men. “When
we talk of change, we talk of positive-salutary,
healthy growth and development oriented change
that cuts across the entire gamut of the society.
What sort of change is this that ignores the
glaring un-equal distribution of national income?
It is absurd that the same government that is
unable to pay N18, 000 per month to the lowest
grade of labour can afford to pay N1.8 Million per
month to anyone in the economy. Why must tax
payers’ money be used to feed Mr. President and
his family? “Why must the tax payers’ money be
used to buy brand new exotic vehicles for the
legislatures, judges, ministers and governors when
they are heavily paid?
Why don’t they use loan finance and mortgage
finance to buy their cars and houses? This is also
a form of looting and it is the cause of grounding
the economy and calling in IMF spin-doctor all the
time. Precisely two years ago this same President
Buhari rejected off hand this use of spindoctor to
heal the ailing economy.
He preferred the use of counter trade and inward
looking policies like cutting down cost and
flamboyant exotic life styles. “Today I am not so
sure we have the same Buhari. I do hope he has
not changed all the colours of the rainbow. The
ruling elites are living a luxurious life while the
masses are in abject poverty and yet we are all
Nigerians. Enough of this change-conundrum,”
the Cardinal warned.
-The Telegraph
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