Speech by Atiku Abubakar, GCON, former Vice President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, at a Meeting with the Administrative Board of the Catholic Bishops Conference, at the Pope John Paul II Pastoral Centre, Wuse II, Abuja.


Thank you very much for granting me audience. I feel privileged to be with you this evening.
Although it is political season, and I am aspiring for office, my request for audience with you is not primarily because I am running for office. You are not members of my party who will select the party’s candidate. You are more important than that: you are very influential opinion moulders; you are a very strong moral voice in our society. And our country needs you now more than ever before. So yes, I would like to discuss my plans for our country with you. But we all need to work together to save our country.
One thing I learned as a young man is that no Christian religious denomination trains its clergy as much as the Catholic Church. That’s perhaps why Catholic clergy, like your lordships, rarely speak carelessly, rarely throw caution to the wind, when commenting on national affairs.
I requested this audience because I am worried, worried for our country. As you know, I have been a Vice President of this country. This is a country that has done a lot for me. I do not want to see it destroyed. We need to reach our full potentials as a nation. I would rather we remain a strong united and peaceful country than becoming President of a broken country at war with itself.
Our country is going through very difficult times, especially general insecurity all over the country, but particularly in the north east. We have a growing insurgency which is spreading. And you will agree with me that it is not being managed well. After years of denial and finger-pointing, we have a monster on our hands. Both Christian and Muslim leaders need to moderate their language in addressing this insurgency. This country needs the weight of your voices on the urgency of the matter and on ways it might be better handled. Unlike a politician, when you speak the truth nobody will accuse you of trying to gain political advantage, to win elections. Obviously, if we had addressed this insurgency urgently and swiftly, the enormous resources being expended on security right now could have gone into infrastructure development, education, healthcare, and employment creation for our young people.
In addition, we are currently being further divided along religious and ethnic lines. As you know, countries hardly recover from religious conflicts. There are examples all over the world to warn us. God has given us large Christian and Moslem populations. Neither can succeed in subjugating or defeating the other. So we must coexist with mutual respect and mutual regard for each other’s interests and concerns. This has not always been the way many of our leaders approach religion and ethnicity in this country. We must not let the voices of extremists in both religions drown the voice of moderation and compromise.
Thus I also want you to know who I am in flesh rather than through mere news reports and other third party accounts.

....Read full text here --- http://atiku.org/2015/news_events/4918/

hmmmmm






election things on his mind

"Catholic bishop rarely throw caution into the wind when it comes to national issues".
So atiku knows all these and still want them to support him with his violent change and BH ideology since nigeria loves peaceful change we say no to APC and BH

If he likes he should meet the pope too, the north will never ever rule a united Nigeria again.. At least nor in this life time...