Okogie Calls Buhari's Govt “A One Man Show”… Says Nigeria Sliding Into A Police State

The Archbishop Emeritus of the Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos, Anthony

Car­dinal Olubunmi Okogie on Sunday said President Mohammadu Buhari’s

Government is turning into a one man show.
Okogie who was speaking for the first time about the state of affairs in

the All Progressive Congress, APC, led Government said the country is

gradually sliding into a police state with the Economic and Financial

Crimes Commission, EFCC, the Department of State Security, DSS, being used

to intimidate and harass Nigerians.
Okogie stated this in a statement he released on Sunday .

The statement reads:
“A lot of Nigerians are beginning to feel that Buhari is fast transforming

this na­tion into a police state where the president, the Economic and

Finan­cial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Department of State Secu­rity

(DSS) rule the day, according to a statement obtained by Per Second News.

“What they say is given lurid headlines in the me­dia, and it seems to all

that some of the defendants cum accused persons are being tried in the

press with in­formation conveniently slipping into the hands of the press,

presumably from the security agencies, even be­fore such people have been

charged to court.”
“Unfortunately, democracy is difficult and this government must realise

that democracy pervasive­ly coloured with impunity, arbitrar­iness and

highhandedness, cannot be used to fight and correct the finan­cial

impunity and reckless abandon of the previous administration, even if it

is more difficult to do so; the rule of law must be obeyed and be the

or­der of the day.
“If Buhari wants to leave a cred­itable legacy come 2019, he should retool

the bureaucracy. For instance, the roof of the Central Bank is leak­ing

water.
“Governors, who arm-twisted Okonjo-Iweala into signing out our reserves

held by Central Bank, are today ministers in the All Progres­sives

Congress (APC) government.
“We are still talking about change and corruption when old things refuse

to pass away! These political gimmicks can only car­ry away gullible or

naive Nigeri­ans. President Buhari should beam his flashlight on policies

and pro­grammes that will lift up the masses.
“A snail-paced and disordered methodology in governance, his ap­parent

disdain for judicial authorities and decisions, a lost today and found

tomorrow 2016 Budget debacle, and a rather rudderless and confused

Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) with an unclear monetary policy strategy

(inevitably increasing the economic uncertainties being faced by

Nigeri­ans), have set alarm bells ringing in my mind and in the minds of

many discerning Nigerians.
“Our Change must change something. How could we continue to talk of change

in a static system? How could we be talking of change when the same crew

are governors, ministers, senators, and members of the House of

Representatives? This is a cyclical devolution of power to the same people

who are never out of power!
“What sort of change is the Pres­ident talking about? When will the youth

take over when even a gov­ernor does not take a bow and go? When shall we

plan for the replace­ment of delinquent leadership? This is what

constitutes change. Change is not changing from Jonathan to Buhari.”

Continuing, he said: “Change is be­havioural and pervades all levels of

society including the family, the church, the mosque, schools, market

women and business men. When we talk of change, we talk of

positive-salutary, healthy growth and devel­opment oriented change that

cuts across the entire gamut of the so­ciety.
“What sort of change is this that ignores the glaring unequal

distribu­tion of national income? It is absurd that the same government

that is un­able to pay N18,000 per month to the lowest grade of labour can

afford to pay N1.8 million per month to anyone in the economy. Why must

tax payers' money be used to feed Mr. President and his family?

“Why must the tax payers' mon­ey be used to buy brand new exotic vehicles

for the legislature, judges, ministers and governors when they are heavily

paid?
“Indeed, his perceived discord­ant relationship with the leadership of

the Legislature has many naysayers chuckling and remarking that

Pres­ident Buhari's government is head­ing into his comfort zone, a one

man show.”
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