Nigerians are hungry, Cardinal Anthony Okogie tells Buhari

The Emeritus Archbishop of Lagos, Cardinal
Anthony Okogie, has said President
Muhammadu Buhari must do something fast to
address hunger across the country.
Okogie said in an open letter to the President on
Monday that Buhari’s campaign slogan was
anchored on change.
He stated, “Today, cries of “hunger” could be
heard across the length and breadth of our vast
country. Nigerians hunger, not only for food, but
also for good leadership, for peace, security and
justice.

“This letter is to appeal to you to do something
fast, and, if you are already doing something, to
redouble your effort. May it not be written on
the pages of history that Nigerians die of
starvation under your watch.
“As President, you are the chief servant of the
nation. I therefore urge you to live up to the
huge expectation of millions of Nigerians. A
stitch in time saves nine.”
The cardinal said that Buhari and his party, the
All Progressives Congress, promised to lead the
masses to the Promised Land.
He said that although it was not an easy task to
lead, the President during his campaign offered
to take the enormous task of leadership.
The cardinal stated, “Nigerians are waiting for
you to fulfill the promises you made during the
campaign. They voted you into office because of
those promises. The introduction of town hall
meetings is a commendable idea. But in practice,
you, not just your ministers, must converse with
Nigerians. You are the President. You must be
accountable to them. The buck stops on your
desk. Even if your administration has no magic
wand at least give some words of
encouragement.”
He said that the President should instruct his
ministers to be sincere and polite at the town
hall meetings, adding that their sophistry would
neither benefit Nigerians nor the President.
“Mr. President, if you want to leave a credible
legacy come 2019, in all sincerity, please retool
your administration. Change is desirable. But it
must be a change for the better. Let this change
be real. Change is not real when old things that
we ought to discard refuse to pass away,” he
added.
Okogie said that the President must take a
critical look at his cabinet, policies and
programmes of his administration.
He added, “You will need to take a critical look
at the manner of appointments you have been
making. It is true that commonsense dictates
that you appoint men and women you can trust.
But if most of the people you trust are from one
section of the country and practice the same
religion, then you and all of us are living in
insecurity.
“The Nigerian economy has never been in a
state as terrible as this. You as the President,
you are like the pilot of an aircraft flying in
turbulence. Turbulent times bring the best or the
worst out of a pilot. We can no longer blame the
turbulence on past administrations. You know
quite well that some of the officials of your
administration served in previous dispensations.
Blame for what we have been experiencing is in
fact bipartisan in character.
“The entire political class needs to come
together, irrespective of party differences to
acknowledge its collective guilt and to seek ways
of saving the sinking ship that our country has
become. This cannot be done if some officials of
your administration demonise and alienate
members of the opposition.”
Okogie said that if a large portion of the blame
for the present situation was to be laid on the
doorsteps of the entire political class, the search
for solution must involve everyone.
He said, “That is why no one should be
alienated. All hands must be on deck.
“This is the time to revitalise moribund
industries, reinvigorate our agriculture, make our
country tourist and investor friendly, and enable
our young men and women to find fulfillment by
contributing to the common good.
“None of these lofty goals can be achieved
without good education. On this particular issue,
recent appointments you have made in the
education sector raise a question: have you
really appointed the best? Still on education, it is
important that our universities be allowed to use
their own criteria to admit students. It is a gross
violation of the principles of federalism and
academic freedom for the Federal Government
to insist that only a federal parastatal can decide
on who gains admission into our universities.”
Responding, the Presidency said President
Muhammadu Buhari was already addressing the
hunger in the land as advised by Okogie.
The Special Adviser to the President on Media
and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, said this in an
interview with The Punch.
Adesina said Buhari was working hard to ensure
that Nigerians bid poverty and hunger farewell
in shortest possible time.
The presidential spokesman said, “The respected
cardinal asked the President to do something
fast to address hunger across the country.
“That is exactly what the President is doing. He
is working hard for Nigerians, so that they can
say a final farewell to poverty and hunger.”