President Muhammed Buhari has made Nigerian situation worse than he met it, a former President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Cardinal Anthony Okogie, has said.
The cardinal who said that though some of the challenges facing the country predated Buhari’s administration they seemed to have “worsened economically and politically.”
He said that rather than accepting responsibility, the Federal Government was clamping down on Twitter and Nigerians using the micro-blogging site.
Okogie, who was vocal critic during military administrations of the 1980s and 1990s, made his views known in a statement sent to The PUNCH on Monday and titled, ‘Cardinal Okogie: Life at 85.’
According to the revered Catholic priest, “Few weeks ago, on the occasion of the 6th anniversary of this administration, given the severity of the status quo of our socio-economic and political situation, it was shocking that the government claimed that the Nigerian people never had it so good and Nigerians would have reason to praise this government at the end of their tenure. As they say, the matter speaks for itself, as it is evident that Nigeria has practically become a failed state.
“A country fails when it is no longer able to protect its citizens from harm and secure their welfare. A country fails when, instead of being a harbour of refuge for its citizens, it turns out to be a cauldron of fire and sorrow that consumes its citizens. A country fails when instead of reassuring its citizens by actions and policies that the future is secure, it becomes a case of most people planning to flee the country to other climes where their governments are truly functioning. Such is practically our case today. One whose house is on fire should not take to the streets dancing.
“While it is true that our problems did not start under this administration, they seem to have worsened economically and politically in these past six years. The sad part is that there is no articulate coordinated response from the government to stem these downward trends, apart from the usual ‘playing the ostrich’ and throwing tantrums when they are criticised, like the rather hasty suspension of Twitter.
“The political class, in spite of all their protestations to the contrary, seems unable to stay the course and prevent this slide of this greatly endowed country into this sad quagmire. As they say, ‘truth is bitter.’”
For the cleric, for the “need for us to retrace our steps has never been so urgent.”
He added that “starring us in the face are prospects of anarchy.”
Okogie emphasised the need to build a prosperous nation “where there are no second-class citizens.”
