''He lied when he said I belong to everyone'' -Catholic Bishops
During his inauguration in 2015,president Muhammadu Buhari promised to be a president for all in Nigeria when he said in his inaugural speech: I belong to everybody. I also belong to nobody''. This statement and promise of Mr.president was recently brought to fore by the Catholic
Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) in which they accused President Buhari of not keeping to the
promise he made during his inauguration into office in 2015 that he Buhari
belongs to everybody and to nobody in particular. Here is their full statement made in a conference held in Taraba state:
“In his inaugural speech as civilian president of Nigeria on 29 May
2015, the president sent out a message of hope and of his commitment to
national integration and cohesion. 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" President Buhari said in his inaugural speech''
The clergy also said that 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.
"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. We insist
that merit and ability should be the primary criteria in making
appointments and genuine needs the criteria for the distribution of
amenities. We also urge the government to be always sensitive to the
multi-religious and multi-ethnic configuration of the nation. The nervousness among the populace with the potential of igniting a fire that could turn into an uncontrollable conflagration”.
However,the clergy urged Nigerians to continue being good and law abiding citizens of the country,no matter what:
“On the other hand, we enjoin all aggrieved persons and groups to employ
peaceful means within the framework of the existing laws of the land to
express their grievances or even exercise legitimate pressure on the
Government. Care must be taken by all to avoid actions and utterances
capable of causing yet another armed conflict in the nation or any of
its parts.”