Vocal Nigerian Catholic priest, Cardinal Anthony Okogie, has described the Coronavirus pandemic in the country as a blessing in disguise because it has exposed its poor political leadership.

Okogie wondered why the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration would spend billions of naira on cars for lawmakers without planning to build hospitals to contain emergencies such as COVID-19.

Okogie went on to call on Nigerians to demand more from their elected representatives especially in times of crisis.

He said, "The outbreak of COVID-19 has been a dangerous yet revelatory moment in Nigeria.

"It is dangerous because this deadly pandemic has infected over a million and killed thousands of citizens of our planet. No one seems to know when and how it will end.

"But COVID-19 is also revelatory, a blessing in disguise because it has exposed Nigeria as a country where quality of leadership is of low grade. What we have known but denied for so long is now shown to us as an incontrovertible fact: that the quality of leadership in our country must improve.

"In the midst of poor-quality leadership however, Nigerians must speak in laudatory terms about Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos, his Commissioner for Health, Prof Akin Abayomi, and his entire team for rising to the occasion.

"For right or wrong reasons, Lagosians have been critical of his government since its inauguration on May 29, 2019. But it must be admitted that with a population said to be close to 15 million, if Governor Sanwo-Olu and his team had not provided outstandingly exemplary leadership, we would have had a more dangerous situation on our hands.

"At the risk of making a hasty judgment, it is to be placed on record that as at the time this was being written, Governor Sanwo-Olu and his team had largely prevented the spread of the virus in Lagos. Let us pray for them and encourage them so that they will continue to show exemplary leadership to other political office holders in Nigeria.

"COVID-19 has also revealed to us that rather than invest in good healthcare service delivery in Nigeria, we have a political arrangement that makes it possible to waste Nigeria’s money on government officials and health tourism abroad.

"Thanks to our country’s constitution, government in Nigeria is embarrassingly big, sinfully expensive, prone to corruption, and scandalously inefficient.

"Nigeria cannot adequately invest in the sectors of health and education because among other reasons, the constitution of Nigeria has established offices that will require an endless flow of petrol-dollars to maintain.

"By the time low-grade leadership combines with big government and the seemingly irresistible tendency to steal and or waste Nigeria’s money, you find a country whose hospitals are reduced to mere consultation rooms.

"It is therefore insufficient for our legislators to forfeit their salaries for two months as they have offered, it is also unsatisfactory for Senators to donate half of their salaries to tackle COVID-19. The humongous basic salaries and allowances of our political office holders should become a thing of the past.

"The money should be used to establish a regime of high-quality medical service delivery.

"COVID-19 has revealed to us that if we do not do something positive about our hospitals in Nigeria, if we do not invest our money in medical research, we shall one day find ourselves in a situation where we cannot even board a flight out of Nigeria to go on medical tourism. Let us make hay while the sun shines.

"Constitutional restructuring is a necessary condition for the production of high-quality governance. But if we continue to run the affairs of our country with a constitution that impoverishes and disables the citizens by establishing offices that do not serve the people, then we would not have learnt good lessons from this pandemic.

"Indeed, COVID-19 has been a blessing in disguise. It has exposed the falsehood and hypocrisy we call politics and religion in Nigeria.

"May Nigerians become sufficiently wise to read and interpret the signs of the time. For a stitch in time saves nine. Having taught us the hard way, may this pandemic go to bed early, never to rise again."

http://saharareporters.com/2020/04/05/coronavirus-has-exposed-terrible-leadership-nigeria-says-cardinal-okogie

What he said about our failed government is true.

What he said about Sanwo Pontius Pilate is also true

What he said about constitution restructuring is also true.

Only Buharists will find fault with his any of assertions.

The average women leaders,in women social gatherings..is far better than buhari and some of our governors...they are so cordinated.

Buhari is a failure

yes o pastor and it also exposed all Nigeria pastors as fake that can't cure ordinary headache but will be scamming their gullible zombies members that they can resurrect dead person

Bitter truth

So bad roads , lack of electricity , lack of healthcare ,human rights abuse , insecurity and escalating poverty didn't expose bad leadership to you soon but COVID did? Bishop you too are not serious

Big moral burden of leadership is upon us for long. It's not going away soon.

Fl@thead are born to hate so we are not surprised.
God bless Buhari
God bless Nigeria

The hungry, bitter ewedu gobbling afonja moslem from koronu Republic above, I hope you have eaten and slammed your head for the devil today?

Lesson

It has expose acclaim men of God also... no more miracle and healings again... after this pandemic some gullible followers will still believe in this people

In the world generally..

The politicians, the fake pastors.. People with fake life

GamalNasser:
So bad roads , lack of electricity , lack of healthcare ,human rights abuse , insecurity and escalating poverty didn't expose bad leadership to you soon but COVID did? Bishop you too are not serious

Read and comprehend.. Did you know Nigeria was having less than 500 ventilators before Coronavirus?

Exposed

helinues:


Read and comprehend.. Did you know Nigeria was having less than 500 ventilators before Coronavirus?

Exposed

Ofcourse I did , I have discussed it with friends many times in the past

GamalNasser:


Ofcourse I did , I have discussed it with friends many times in the past

Many Nigerians don't know that . Infact the people in the power don't have a clue before now..

This corona period really showed us that all our past and current politicians are joker's..

Almost no standard state hospitals in most states..

Shame on all of them

Bad and woeful leaders was exacerbated by COVIK-19 president.The man has no place in a 21st century civilisation.

helinues:


Many Nigerians don't know that . Infact the people in the power don't have a clue before now..

This corona period really showed us that all our past and current politicians are joker's..

Almost no standard state hospitals in most states..

Shame on all of them

And your so-called integrity president budgeted money for aso rock clinic, yet the place lacks basic drugs. Doesn't that tell you that buhari's government is as corrupt as Jonathan's government?

[quote author=Racoon post=88125998][/quote]

And how about your Hero beer who claimed he had no shoes..

Must you wail all the time even though after condemning both past and present leaders.

Guy, do something meaningful with your time instead of shouting Buhari upandan

topstone4:


And your so-called integrity president budgeted money for aso rock clinic, yet the place lacks basic drugs. Doesn't that tell you that buhari's government is as corrupt as Jonathan's government?

You dey mind wicked Buhari, sebi all the hospitals Pdp and Jonathan built na Buhari destroyed them..

Very wicked man

helinues:


You dey mind wicked Buhari, sebi all the hospitals Pdp and Jonathan built na Buhari destroyed them..

Very wicked man

Jonathan was bad and Buhari isn't better.

It had been 6 years, but how many electoral promises has he fulfilled? 10%? 20%?

Your Buhari is corrupt and lacks integrity.

topstone4:


Jonathan was bad and Buhari isn't better.

It had been 6 years, but how many electoral promises has he fulfilled? 10%? 20%?

Your Buhari is corrupt and lacks integrity.

Shame on all of them

You probably missed this

helinues:




You probably missed this

Buhari is a bad president. He is even a disgrace to the military profession

topstone4:
Buhari is a bad president. He is even a disgrace to the military profession

The man is just a colossal disgrace to Maj.Gen title holders.Even the Chadian president have relegated him to the background.Same government he once accused Jonathan of going to league with to enhance BH activity in Nigeria.

helinues:


Many Nigerians don't know that . Infact the people in the power don't have a clue before now..

This corona period really showed us that all our past and current politicians are joker's..

Almost no standard state hospitals in most states..

Shame on all of them

The blind, ruling the blind, shame on you, you are not ashamed to say our are a sheep, been lead by a blind shepherd, are you not a Nigerian?, keep looking for who to blame, they say Charity begins at home. Keep waiting for President Buhari & everyone else to make Nigeria an Utopia for your Lazy Azz.

Exclusive101:
Everything he said is true but why is he yet to comment about Ikpeazu, his eba n ofe nsala so we no if it is true or not ?!

Okogie Hypocrite Pilate, only the Federal Government he sees, blind rodent, ask him the name of his local Government Chairman, and what he has done for them since the break out of the virus? It is President Buhari in Abuja he wants to mention?

topstone4:


And your so-called integrity president budgeted money for aso rock clinic, yet the place lacks basic drugs. Doesn't that tell you that buhari's government is as corrupt as Jonathan's government?

No one can beat the incompetence, and cluelessness of Mr stealing of public funds is not corruption. Just look at his electricity privitization, no electricity anywhere in Nigeria, Odoyo glare fully sold our collective assets on November 1 2013 to Quacks with no track record in the electricity sector, anywhere on earth, what a legacy? 2020, where the electricity?

topstone4:


Jonathan was bad and Buhari isn't better.

It had been 6 years, but how many electoral promises has he fulfilled? 10%? 20%?

Your Buhari is corrupt and lacks integrity.

Jonathan, or any Pdp Governor you voted for, list any of their achievements if you can, pot calling kettle black?

rexwalters:
No one can beat the incompetence, and cluelessness of Mr stealing of public funds is not corruption. Just look at his electricity privitization, no electricity anywhere in Nigeria, Odoyo glare fully sold our collective assets on November 1 2013 to quacks, what a legacy? 2020, where the electricity?

What of the man who said abacha did not steal? Yet, the same man had been talking about abacha's loot for 6 years.

Since Buhari came, had he improved electricity?

What the heck; had Buhari improved anything at all since he became president?

How many electoral promises has he even fulfilled?

He said he wouldn't travel abroad on medical tourism; has he been fulfilling that promise? Or had he been breaking that promise?

rexwalters:
Jonathan, or any Pdp Governor you voted for, list any of their achievements if you can, pot calling kettle black?

So, anyone who refuse to show blindness and praise Buhari like you is automatically a PDP supporter? How do you guys manage not to feel stupid each time you reason like this?