A former President, Christian Association of Nigeria, Anthony
Cardinal Olubunmi-Okogie, has lambasted both the ruling All
Progressives Congress and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party
on their accusations and counter-accusations over those who looted
Nigeria’s treasury.
The retired Lagos Archbishop of the Catholic Church described
the back and forth accusations between the two major parties as a
show of shame.
Okogie stated this in a press statement, titled, ‘We Are
Watching and Waiting 2.’
The statement was the second in the series that the cleric sent
to The PUNCH on Thursday.
He said, “Nigerians are currently forced to watch a show of
shame by the ruling party of today and the ruling party of
yesterday. Such are accusations and counter-accusations of looting
that Nigerians find it difficult to differentiate between the
accuser and the accused.
“Huge sums of money belonging to the people of Nigeria obviously
got into wrong hands and for the wrong reasons. There are good
reasons to suspect that the looting that took place cut across
party lines. Nigerians deserve to know how, for example, the two
leading parties financed their campaigns in 2015.
“But instead of honest answers, we are treated by the two big
parties to a theatrical display of politically-motivated
compilation of lists of looters. We are forced to say what Jesus
said to the accusers of the adulterous woman in the Gospel: whoever
has not sinned let him cast the first stone.”
The vocal cleric pointed out that the political class and the
ruling elite were a threat to the country’s security. He said
whoever loved Nigeria should be concerned about the security of
life and property within its borders.
He noted that insecurity affects all, irrespective of party,
ethnic, religious lines, social and economic status.
“Unfortunately, it can and it ought to be said that our
political leaders constitute the greatest threat to security in
this country, not armed robbers nor kidnappers, not Boko Haram nor
herdsmen.
“Nigerians are impoverished by those who are put in charge of
her enormous resources while our political leaders live in
affluence. The standard of living continues to nosedive. And while
politicians display ill-gotten wealth at birthday and wedding
parties, there is widespread dilapidation of infrastructure.
“Our government got a friendly reminder recently. Counselled to
invest resources in the people of Nigeria, its apologists, as
usual, insulted the messenger. Has Bill Gates become a ‘wailer’ and
a looter as critics of this government are often labelled?”
The cleric added, “Instead of indecently jostling for positions
in 2019, the immoral electioneering propaganda that has replaced
good governance, and the vicious fight over whose turn it is to
capture the pot of honey that Nigeria’s wealth is, our politicians
across party lines should stop and ponder: what type of Nigeria are
we handing over to our children and to our children’s children?
“Whether our political leaders in all the parties will seek wise
answers to that question is left to be seen. That is why we are
still watching and waiting.”
Okogie pointed out that due to poverty, Nigerians, especially
the nation’s youths, are easily recruited by all kinds of militia
groups as another season of elections approaches. “So, we move from
one unending season of insecurity to another,” he said.
The cleric added, “The fire of Boko Haram has yet to be
extinguished. Government officials tell us Boko Haram is ‘degraded’
or ‘technically defeated’. The same officials tell us they are
discussing ceasefire terms with a defeated army. What a
contradiction!
“This same ‘degraded’ Boko Haram cruised in a convoy into
Dapchi, abducted over 100 young schoolgirls without the Nigerian
Army firing a shot; cruised back a few days later to return the
girls; again, the Nigerian Army was nowhere to be found.”
A former President, Christian Association of Nigeria, Anthony
Cardinal Olubunmi-Okogie, has lambasted both the ruling All
Progressives Congress and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party
on their accusations and counter-accusations over those who looted
Nigeria’s treasury.
The retired Lagos Archbishop of the Catholic Church described
the back and forth accusations between the two major parties as a
show of shame.
Okogie stated this in a press statement, titled, ‘We Are
Watching and Waiting 2.’
The statement was the second in the series that the cleric sent
to The PUNCH on Thursday.
He said, “Nigerians are currently forced to watch a show of
shame by the ruling party of today and the ruling party of
yesterday. Such are accusations and counter-accusations of looting
that Nigerians find it difficult to differentiate between the
accuser and the accused.
“Huge sums of money belonging to the people of Nigeria obviously
got into wrong hands and for the wrong reasons. There are good
reasons to suspect that the looting that took place cut across
party lines. Nigerians deserve to know how, for example, the two
leading parties financed their campaigns in 2015.
“But instead of honest answers, we are treated by the two big
parties to a theatrical display of politically-motivated
compilation of lists of looters. We are forced to say what Jesus
said to the accusers of the adulterous woman in the Gospel: whoever
has not sinned let him cast the first stone.”
The vocal cleric pointed out that the political class and the
ruling elite were a threat to the country’s security. He said
whoever loved Nigeria should be concerned about the security of
life and property within its borders.
He noted that insecurity affects all, irrespective of party,
ethnic, religious lines, social and economic status.
“Unfortunately, it can and it ought to be said that our
political leaders constitute the greatest threat to security in
this country, not armed robbers nor kidnappers, not Boko Haram nor
herdsmen.
“Nigerians are impoverished by those who are put in charge of
her enormous resources while our political leaders live in
affluence. The standard of living continues to nosedive. And while
politicians display ill-gotten wealth at birthday and wedding
parties, there is widespread dilapidation of infrastructure.
“Our government got a friendly reminder recently. Counselled to
invest resources in the people of Nigeria, its apologists, as
usual, insulted the messenger. Has Bill Gates become a ‘wailer’ and
a looter as critics of this government are often labelled?”
The cleric added, “Instead of indecently jostling for positions
in 2019, the immoral electioneering propaganda that has replaced
good governance, and the vicious fight over whose turn it is to
capture the pot of honey that Nigeria’s wealth is, our politicians
across party lines should stop and ponder: what type of Nigeria are
we handing over to our children and to our children’s children?
“Whether our political leaders in all the parties will seek wise
answers to that question is left to be seen. That is why we are
still watching and waiting.”
Okogie pointed out that due to poverty, Nigerians, especially
the nation’s youths, are easily recruited by all kinds of militia
groups as another season of elections approaches. “So, we move from
one unending season of insecurity to another,” he said.
The cleric added, “The fire of Boko Haram has yet to be
extinguished. Government officials tell us Boko Haram is ‘degraded’
or ‘technically defeated’. The same officials tell us they are
discussing ceasefire terms with a defeated army. What a
contradiction!
“This same ‘degraded’ Boko Haram cruised in a convoy into
Dapchi, abducted over 100 young schoolgirls without the Nigerian
Army firing a shot; cruised back a few days later to return the
girls; again, the Nigerian Army was nowhere to be found.”
Read more https://nairalaw.com/looters-list-apc-pdp-in-a-show-of-shame-says-okogie/