Emeagi Emeka Williams
The aftermath of the meeting between Catholic Bishops and President of the federal republic of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu can best be described as abysmal politicisation, by aides of the president and loyalists of the ruling party.
The Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria , CBCN had on 28 July met with the President in Aso Rock Villa over the state of the nation, led by their President, Archbishop Man – Oso Ndagoso.
It was a courtesy visit that provided the Bishops the opportunity to share views with Tinubu, especially over the plights of Nigerians under his administration.
After the meeting, one of them, John Cardinal Olorunfemi Onaiyekan made public the shocking responses of Nigeria’s President over issues of hunger , and the fact that Nigeria was bleeding from many calamities of insecurity.
According to Onaiyekan, the president didn’t want to be told the truth, and displayed no empathy about Nigeria’s sorry state.
Utterly , president Tinubu reportedly expressed lack of zeal, even capacity to arrest the socio economic challenges.
Immediately after the revelation by Onaiyekan, a move which was fatherly and statesmanlike, certain political operators, call them aides of the president became unsettled, and started firing salvos in defense of their master.
Without equivocation, our nation is at a sink or swim stage when every right thinking and patriotic citizen should place critical national issues beyond selfish ends.
It beats imaginations that the visit of fathers of faith from the Catholic denomination, which was for national interest sparked negative reactions from Aso Rock occupants!
If the president displayed insensitivity before bishops who expected reasonable responses, re assurance, should such bishops pamper that president, when they are under pressure to send relief to Nigerians who count of them to set positive agenda?
Indisputably, the behaviour of the president’s ” boys ” suggests loyalty to the president and the ruling party, and not the Nigerian state , and Nigerians.
They acted in total antithesis to the spirit of national development.
Aso Rock “boys” have continued to prove that the president is not committed to serving generality of the people, but the desire of a few.
In view of all these , it must be noted that the Nigerian democracy , still fledgling , requires true patriots and thorough development icons to consolidate.
Though, it is clear that the president is the one who pays his pipers ( aides ), and dictates the tune; a situation where presidential aides and acolytes act as though Nigeria is a private enterprise owned by a privileged few, instead of the owners of sovereignty ( Nigerians ), it is most unfortunate.
There is howbeit an urgent need for all Nigerians , irrespective of social standings, to make national development, integration, unity and the strengthening of vital institutions , a priority, instead of murdering the nation on the altar of aggrandisement, partisanship and destructive politicisation.
