Anthony Cardinal Okogie, Emeritus Archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos has again berated the government as he lamented the state of the nation, saying Nigeria is practically becoming a failed state.
Speaking at his 85th birthday Thanksgiving Mass and 50th Episcopal Ordination Anniversary at Church of Assumption Falomo, Lagos recently, Okogie said the Nigerian people has never had it so bad compared to what they have experienced under the present administration; even as it was outrageous when president Muhammadu Buhari announced that Nigerians has been better of under his watch in the last six years; during his anniversary.
Okogie insisted that state of anarchy is looming and harped on the need avoid it. With almost all parts of the country being challenged with insecurity and insurgency, which is a sign of failure.
“As they say, matters speak for itself is a proof that Nigeria is practically slipping into 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 its citizens, it turns out to be a conundrum 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 government are truly functioning. Such is practically our case today.”
Okogie, a former president of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) agreed that the problem did not start under this administration, but very disturbing is that there has not been any “articulate coordinated response from government to tackle the situation apart from sitting on the fence, playing the ostrich and throwing tantrums.”
“Agreed the problems did not start with this administration, it seems to have worsened economically and politically in the past six years. The insurgency in the North East is still ongoing and insecurity has spread nationwide despite of the military being deployed everywhere.
“The avalanche of banditry and kidnapping that has overwhelmed parts of the North West and central cannot be described as they stroll casually into school and cart away tens to hundreds of students and mysteriously melt into nearby forest or bushes; the entire security apparatus often seems clueless or helpless.”
“The situation in some part of the South East also leaves much to be desired, with the officers mobbed, soldiers butchered, innocent citizens killed, properties destroyed, people are no longer safe in the land.”
“Unknown gunmen have become our favourite vocabulary in our parlance as they come in and out, operate untraceable. The case of the Fulani herdsmen has been badly handled so far. Cases of unemployment, inflation, poverty and misery are shooting from the roof. The sad part is that there is no articulate coordinated response from government to curb these downward trends apart just sitting on the fence, playing the ostrich and throwing tantrums when they are criticized like the rather harsh suspension of Twitter”.
Okogie therefore called on government at all levels to rise up to the situation and save this nation from drowning.
“Let them listen to the cries of the people. Politics of exclusion, exploiting the nations ethnic, regional and religious diversity cannot help the citizens.”
Felicitating with the clergy man was the governor of Lagos state, Babajide Sanwo-Olu who was represented by the special adviser on Religious Matters, Very Rev. Bukola Adeleke. He said the church under the leadership of Okogie recorded tremendous successes to show that the church is a stakeholder of governance in Nigeria.” – The Sun.
