Catholic Bishops dub Buhari a failure, mock his ‘I belong to nobody’ mantra

Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari has been described as a failure in keeping his promise to belong to everybody and to nobody, which he made to Nigerians during his inauguration as the nation’s president in 2015.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), who stated this in a communiqué signed by its president, Ignatius Kaigama and issued after their meeting in Taraba State on Friday, frowned that Buhari had failed to live up to his promise to be impartial two years after assuming office.

“In his inaugural speech as civilian president of Nigeria on May 29, 2015, the President sent out a message of hope and of his commitment to national integration and cohesion.

“He said, ‘Having just a few minutes ago sworn on the Holy Book, I intend to keep my oath and serve as President to all Nigerians. I belong to everybody and I belong to nobody. A few people have privately voiced fears that on coming back to office, I shall go after them. These fears are groundless. There will be no paying off old scores.’

“More than two years later, the reality on ground and the verdict of most of our people across the nation – irrespective of religious affiliation, ethnic group or social status – point to the contrary. The inability of the government to address the inequitable situation in the country has provided breeding ground for violent reactions, protests and agitations, which exploit the grievances of different segments of the country.

“We call on government at all levels to urgently address these anomalies, remove everything that smacks of injustice, and give everybody and every part of our country a sense of belonging,” the communiqué read.

Read also: BIAFRA: Obasanjo says Python Dance not solution to quell agitation

The bishops, who also expressed sadness over the deployment of military personnel in South East, warned that the action by government was capable of “igniting a fire that could turn into an uncontrollable conflagration”.

The bishops further called on agitating citizens and groups to maintain law and order and urged the Federal Government to ensure it live up to its responsibilities to the citizens so that there will be development in the country.

They also applauded the Federal Government for the successes so far achieved in the insurgency fight in the North-East and its efforts in securing the freedom of some of the abducted Chibok secondary schoolgirls, Borno State.

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