FrancisChurch Caritas Getting Political Again
Boko Haram-plagued Nigeria has a new Muslim President, the ‘reformed dictator,’ Muhammadu Buhari. It’s somewhat encouraging that the country’s bishops feel he is more qualified to lead a moral reformation than the outgoing Christian President Jonathan.
President Muhammadu Buhari has been called upon to lead a moral revolution that will restore the dignity of the Nigerian nation and ensure the prudent management of the country’s resources for the common good of all Nigerians.
The admonition is contained in a statement issued by Caritas Nigeria and the Justice Development and Peace Commission (JDPC) to congratulate Buhari on his inauguration as the new President of the country.
Why do bishops always equate ‘dignity’ with ‘resources’ and ‘the common good?’ If humans are more important than things, why must they rely upon them to have dignity? Why are presidents now in charge of distributing resources, and what does it all have to do with a ‘moral revolution?’
And what about Boko Haram?
The statement, signed by Fr. Evaristus Bassey, Executive Secretary of the two bodies noted that, “although infrastructural development is important, what is more important is to rebuild our national psyche and broken trust in government through prudent management, transparency and accountability and thereby restore the confidence of ordinary Nigerians in government,” the statement read.
While appreciating the inaugural speech of the President which promised to address the challenges of the country, Fr. Bassey urged the President to “rescue the ordinary Nigerian from the emperors called Governors, who usually take it as their pride of place to plunder at will the resources meant for the common good of all,” he said.
So the imperious governors during the previous administration plundered all the resources meant for the common good? I thought Buhari was a ‘reformed’ dictator. Is he now supposed to tighten his grip over all the Nigerian governors?
The Caritas Nigeria head notes that although the governors of various Nigerian states cannot be prosecuted while in office because of their immunity, they should be constantly investigated by the security services, “and the outcome (of investigations) used as basis for a ‘regular chat’ between the President and the Governors,” Fr. Bassey said. The statement further calls upon the President to act in a proactive manner and to constantly remind the state governors to direct the resources of states to the common good.
So the gentle Catholic Caritas umbrella charity is calling for the newly reformed dictator to constantly investigate Nigerian governors, who are unfortunately immune from prosecution while in office, until they care much more about the common good.
They sound fairly cozy and onboard with the new Muslim ex-dictator. I wonder how much Caritas liked the old Christian?