A former President, Christian Association of Nigeria, Cardinal Olubunmi Okogie, has asked the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari why life is becoming harder for Nigerians after it promised them change.

The former Catholic Archbishop of Lagos asked the question in a piece entitled, ‘The Truth and Nothing But the Truth,’ which was sent to The PUNCH on Tuesday.

Okogie said 2018 was just a few days away but in the horizon of Nigerian politicians, it seemed 2019 would come before 2018.

He said by their speeches, conduct and posture, “even the blind is able to see that preparations for the 2019 elections are already in top gear.”

The outspoken cleric, however, decried that in utter disregard to internal party democracy, candidates and sole candidates were already being endorsed, a development he pointed out did not portray politicians in good light.

“With very few exceptions, they are powermongers pretending to be leaders, parasites posturing as benefactors,” he stated.


Okogie said, “Endemic to our political class is an addiction to power, a chronic deficiency of desire to serve. It is becoming clearer that, for our politicians, being in power takes precedence over service to the people. In another sad reminder that they care less for the people, they are not engaged in discussions on how to alleviate the suffering of the masses, suffering visited on the people by the incompetent leadership of this country.

“Nigerian politicians benefit from a system that places the citizen at a disadvantage. They treat the people with contempt. But we the people too must be responsible for our country. If the political class is out to deceive the people, we must put some questions to our politicians. We must insist on credible answers to a number of pertinent questions.

“What, for example, happened to all the lofty promises made during the campaign season that preceded the 2015 elections? Why are our politicians unwilling to be accountable? Why is transparency in government a taboo? Did they not promise to change this country into a paradise? Why is it, then, that life is getting even harder for the average Nigerian? Why is the level of insecurity so high that people are abducted even from their homes? Why has our country’s leadership failed to create an environment for investments to thrive?”


The cardinal stressed that it was “immoral and reprehensible” that there was a glaring absence of internal democracy in the country’s political parties, while the people seemed not to have got over “the flu of sole candidacy.”

He said, “That too raises a question. Are our politicians democrats or impostors? If they are ever ready to manipulate the process within their parties, are institutions vital for democracy safe in their hands? If, as it is, our politicians have obstinately refused to imbibe a democratic culture, are they not agents of instability?

“A government that is more powerful than the people is not accountable to the people. It does not consider transparency a sacred obligation. That is the situation as we write. Our government is not accountable to the people. Even when government functionaries are invited to the National Assembly to answer some questions, they arrogantly fail to honour the invitation. And they get away with such insolence! But that is not what we need in Nigeria. For in a veritable democracy, the government is at the service of the citizen. Such is the profound significance of going to the polls.


“The citizen hires his president, governor, senator, etc. If the people are not satisfied with their performance, those they hired are fired at the polls. But that remains a tall dream in Nigeria where, precisely because those we hire are more powerful than their employers, they are in a position to perpetuate themselves in office through an electoral process whose integrity exists only in the breach.”

The retired bishop added that the country could not take its rightful place in the comity of nations while the political class imposed its “counterfeit democracy of sole candidates and ‘divinely’ anointed contestants on the rest of us.”

He called for all all who want to contest in the 2019 elections to go through due process within their parties.

According to him, when they would have been duly nominated to contest, they must see it as a moral obligation to participate in nationally televised debates.

dunkem21:
They will soon call him "IPOB yoot"

sarrki:
Oga olubunmi

No more free money

Full stop

benuejosh:
This man doesn't want a Statue in Imo state. Nigeria was on the blink of being placed on Amazon for sale. If not for the timely intervention of Buhari been elected President, Jonathan and his crew in government were hell bent on selling Nigeria. Buhari may have had his down sides but he is still one of the best President Nigeria has ever had. He has tried his best to rescue Nigeria from complete collapse. Let's appreciate this Man to some extent. They complain of no salaries, sufferings and life getting harder. A number of times he has tried to bail the state out with funds and what has the governors done with the fund? My state governor carries out screening each time salaries are to be paid. Since he became a governor, he does screening every month before paying, yet he doesn't pay those he successfully screens. If you want to say my governor is an APC member so the failure is in them APC, then i ask, how about Fayose? whom all men should have used to compare with other APC governors owing to way he attacks the APC for doing poorly, Himself and my governor i can't say which is better. Throwing the blame of Suffering at Buhari all the times speaks no meaning.

sarrki:
Oga olubunmi

No more free money

Full stop

Flyingngel:
This Buhari matter don tire me. Anything we see in this country during the course of APC rule shld be put on Tinubu head and all those who voted a less educated person to power.
In all this,I blame GEJ because if he remembered how he walked bare footed to school and also that millions of children are also on that same page he was before, may be he would have sit his ass down and fight any corrupt person to a logical conclusion. But alas his wife was number one corrupt official.

Oledia:

No, they will say he has made a hate speech. The will then send EFCC after him.

sarrki:
Oga olubunmi

No more free money

Full stop

benuejosh:
This man doesn't want a Statue in Imo state Or is it because there's no more free monies to share and do some merriment? Nigeria was on the blink of being placed on Amazon for sale. If not for the timely intervention of Buhari been elected President, Jonathan and his crew in government were hell bent on selling Nigeria. Buhari may have had his down sides but he is still one of the best President Nigeria has ever had. He has tried his best to rescue Nigeria from complete collapse. Let's appreciate this Man to some extent. They complain of no salaries, sufferings and life getting harder. A number of times he has tried to bail the state out with funds and what has the governors done with the fund? My state governor carries out screening each time salaries are to be paid. Since he became a governor, he does screening every month before paying, yet he doesn't pay those he successfully screens. If you want to say my governor is an APC member so the failure is in them APC, then i ask, how about Fayose? whom all men should have used to compare with other APC governors owing to way he attacks the APC for doing poorly, Himself and my governor i can't say which is better. And so is it with other Governors too. Throwing the blame of Suffering at Buhari all the times speaks no meaning. If this governors were as well complimenting his efforts, the suffering would be less. Some governors are not helping matters. Talk to the Governors too, ask them questions. Why is it like this, the Funds you've been collecting as bailout, the funds Young's borrowed from external sources what have you done with them? Buhari has tried and he is doing his best to alleviate the suffering of the people.

Flyingngel:
This Buhari matter don tire me. Anything we see in this country during the course of APC rule shld be put on Tinubu head and all those who voted a less educated person to power.
In all this,I blame GEJ because if he remembered how he walked bare footed to school and also that millions of children are also on that same page he was before, may be he would have sit his ass down and fight any corrupt person to a logical conclusion. But alas his wife was number one corrupt official.

Nbote:

D way some of U shift goalposts every time makes ppl believe dats how ur senses shifts every now and den... So U now remember governors have a role to play ryt?? Is d hardship in d land as a result of policies of d various state govt?? U and ur likes have been blaming d previous administration and GEJ in particular for "sharing free money" and even surprised u mentioned d governors instead of GEJ outright. I'll suggest u go and claim ur own wheelbarrow empowerment from ur Governor

Flyingngel:
Cannonleo post'
has she been found guilty, do you remember that this was a woman through her hilarious and bumbling display of English, exposed the conspiracy in the Chibok Abduction saga etc.
go beyond the media please.




Well from what EFCC has frozen in her account, I don't need a soothsayer to tell me she has in one way or the other embezzle government money, otherwise one can tell me what her salary was that she could become a billionaire?
To the Chibok saga any sane and educated Nigerian knows that it was a tool by some northern elements to portray GEJ in bad light,which they succeed in doing.

Omooba77:
Rate of succide is becoming alarming.

benuejosh:
keep quiet.

giftq:
Can you post statistics/links about suicide ?

giftq:
Can you post statistics/links about suicide ?