There is no sign that Nigeria has a president,” Cardinal John Onaiyekan noted.
The Whistler reports that the prominent cleric appealed to the president on Sunday, December 20, by saying:
“There is no sign that Nigeria has a president… the problem President Buhari has is that many Nigerians want to continue as they were doing before and they want everybody else to change, but not themselves.”
Onaiyekan criticized the federal government for not obeying court orders. He also stressed that it was wrong to kill unarmed pro-Biafra activists who dared to challenge the president’s dictatorship.
“If you all recall the incumbent president has a long history of a dictator, and never obeys court orders. He has not changed himself but wishes to change Nigeria.
“Democracy is all about the rule of law. Three times he has disobeyed court orders in less than a year in office. Disobedience to court orders by those who should protect and ensure its compliance slides the nation to anarchy.
“You don’t act illegally, and as an oppressor of the people and expect the people not to resist such illegality via peaceful non-violent resistant protests.
“It is wrong to kill unarmed protesters who dare to challenge your dictatorship. It is wrong to deny the wounded medical care by further going to the hospitals to arrest them.
“It is wrong to deny out-rightly the freedom of choice for a people to decide whether or not they wish to remain within a territory,” the cleric said.
Earlier this year, the Catholic archbishop revealed what President Buhari should do to end the Boko Haram insurgency in the northeast.
According to him, Nigeria’s leader should involve the deadly sect in negotiations.
“When you (government) reply fire for fire I am afraid it does not solve the problem. So, apart from military tactics there is need for more effort as political discussion, reaching out to people,” he said.
