The Metropolitan Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, on Sunday told President Muhammadu Buhari that Nigerians deserved far better than they were getting from his administration.
The cleric noted that the nation “is in a state of political emergency and on the verge of despair,” stressing that the citizens were looking beyond the ruling All Progressives Congress and the People’s Democratic Party for redemption.
Onaiyekan said this in a homily at the opening Mass of the first 2018 plenary of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria in Abuja.
He noted that Nigeria was in a state of uncertainty and confusion, adding that in the last three years, Nigerians had been hearing much about change, but had seen rather little of it.
“Yes, our nation is in a state of uncertainty and confusion; A few things are going well in the society and the economy for which we thank God and congratulate our leaders.
“They tell us that they are doing their best, but a lot still needs to be done and too many problems have been left to fester. Our nation surely deserves far better than it is now getting in terms of good governance, social justice and peace and minimum of well being for our people,” Onaiyekan said.
The former President of the Christian Association of Nigeria said so far, government had spent so much time and energy demonising its predecessor that it seemed to have forgotten its promise of a better life for Nigerians.
“It has unfortunately allowed the initial massive goodwill it enjoyed to be depleted, almost to non-existence. It is no wonder that many Nigerians are looking for a new political organisation that can truly bring about genuine change for the better. Having tried our two major political parties and found none of them up to our expectation, the nation is on the verge of despair,” he noted.
Onaiyekan also said irrespective of the current situation in the country, Nigerians must not allow despair and frustration to overwhelm them, saying that the nation’s problems are well within the ability of the citizens to confront and resolve.
The President of the CBCN, Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama, said the Church’s sermon was not borne out of ill-will, “but because the Church wants things to be good for the nation and that when the Church preaches, the Church is telling the government to go and re-strategise.”
In his response, President Muhammadu Buhari, who was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, said the CBCN was the only Christian platform that gave the President a listening ear prior to the 2015 presidential elections.
“And for that reason, he (Buhari) remains eternally grateful. And I remember at that engagement, they asked very pertinent questions — direct bullets to the face. And he provided answers. And because of that reason, he believes that the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria is a strategic partner in the enterprise of growing the Nigeria nation and he believes that they have a lot to offer,” Mustapha said.
On his part, the former governor of Abia State, Dr Orji Kalu, maintained that the current administration had done well, particularly in the area of infrastructural development.
