‘Politicians more dangerous than Boko Haram, herdsmen’ – Cardinal Okogie

 

Archbishop Emeritus of Lagos, Anthony Cardinal Okogie, yesterday, wrote Nigerians, speaking on the greatest problem of the masses.

According to the cleric, politicians were more harmful to Nigerians than the incessant attacks by Boko Haram and Fulani herdsmen.

The former Archbishop said the recent call by former Defence Minister, Lt. General Theophilus Danjuma (retd), for self-defence should normally cause apprehensions in the presidency, since its legitimacy was in doubt.

In his latest letter to the nation, entitled “We are waiting and watching 2,” Okogie said politicians, rather than herdsmen, kidnappers and armed robbers, were the real threat to the nation’s security.

His letter came at a time Rev. Fr. Matthew Kukah, Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, said it would be the greatest miracle for Nigeria to pull through the 2019 elections successfully. 

Okogie said rather than worry about several informed admonitions, government’s apologists, as usual, opted to insult the messenger, insisting that the nation’s “political leaders constitute the greatest threat to security in this country, not armed robbers nor kidnappers, not Boko Haram nor herdsmen.”

Okogie’s letter is a follow-up to his last, with the same title.

It reads, “Whoever loves Nigeria should be concerned about the security of life and property within her borders.

“It affects all of us across party, ethnic and religious lines. It affects the rich and the poor.

“Unfortunately, it can, and it ought to be said that our political leaders constitute the greatest threat to security in this country, not armed robbers nor kidnappers, not Boko Haram nor herdsmen.

“Nigerians are currently forced to watch a show of shame by the ruling party of today and the ruling party of yesterday.

“Such are accusations and counter-accusations of looting that Nigerians find it difficult to differentiate between the accuser and the accused.

“Huge sums of money belonging to the people of Nigeria obviously got into wrong hands and for wrong reasons. There are good reasons to suspect that the looting that took place cut across party lines.

“Nigerians deserve to know how, for example, the two leading parties financed their campaigns in 2015.

“But instead of honest answers, we are treated by the two big parties to a theatrical display of politically motivated compilation of lists of looters.

“Nigerians deserve to know how, for example, the two leading parties financed their campaigns in 2015.

“But instead of honest answers, we are treated by the two big parties to a theatrical display of politically motivated compilation of lists of looters.

‘’We are forced to say what Jesus said to the accusers of the adulterous woman in the Gospel: whoever has not sinned let him cast the first stone.”