Presiding Bishop of Flock of Christ Mission Int’l Inc, Warri, Delta State, Bishop Someone Okah, said he spent many years of his life praying and waiting for the Nigeria of his dreams, but now at the age of 70, the country is led sadly, by a “man who listens to nothing”.
Okah who is the immediate past Vice President, South-South, of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), stated this in an interview with TRIBUNE as he marked his 70th birthday.
He said Nigerians have been deceived for many years, so much that they are now unable to tell who or what a good leader is, hence why they rejected Jonathan thinking Buhari would do a better job.
He also said there are Nigerians still see former President Olusegun Obasanjo as a terrible President, yet forgot he successfully rid the country of debts unlike the current government whom he said has “destroyed almost every part of this country.”
Asked whether at 70, he has seen the Nigeria of his dream, he replied, “The Nigeria of my dream is a long journey. You can understand as a press person that all the founding fathers who have died did not die happily.
“This is because Nigerians are so deceived to the point that they don’t know what is good and what is bad in leadership. When Obasanjo was the leader in this country, Nigerians never appreciated him. They bad-mouthed him. I know he did some things bad, but can you compare his time with the time we are now? Are we aware that it is Obasanjo that made this country not to owe a dime? He fought for it and it was not easy.
“Then what about Jonathan? Jonathan was the appointed man for us. He accepted defeat even when he knew that the election was rigged. The present man there now, President Muhammadu Buhari, was ready to set this country on fire if he had lost that election but Jonathan said no Nigerian blood is to be shed because of him. Jonathan is a hero. He is my political hero. He is a sound Christian and a humble man. I won’t say Buhari is proud; he is a man who listens to nothing.
“It is very unfortunate for this country especially the youth. The youth of this country have been raped, their future has been raped. Every time, you hear ASUU strike. Buhari has destroyed almost every part of this country. He said the current administration has destroyed almost every part of the country.
“Look at the naira, when he was campaigning he told us that dollars and naira would be equal. How is it today? He brought all his men and women to be in charge. Our present president doesn’t know what shame is.”
“You know I feel bad; I even cry sometimes when I see what this man has done to this country,” he added.
Meanwhile, Obasanjo has recently been rebuked by the Northern Youth Assembly (NYA), over his criticism of Buhari whom he likened to a ‘dead horse’.
Speaking at a retreat on inclusive security organized by the Global Peace Foundation and Vision Africa, in Abuja, Obasanjo said Nigerians shouldn’t expect Buhari to do more than he’s capable of, particularly in the area of insecurity.
“The truth is this: President Buhari has done his best. That is what he can do. If we are expecting anything more than what he has done or what he is doing, that means we’re whipping a dead horse and there is no need,” Obasanjo said at the retreat.
But in a statement signed by the National Assistant Publicity Secretary of the group, Mohammed Bauchi said, “Historically, looking at previous and recent happenings in Nigeria, one can confidently state that Nigerian leaders have made a mess of our dear country since independence. While most of the previous administrations both democratic and military have played a role in creating the problems bedevilling us today.
“This country has never been subjected to ugly damage than the 16 years PDP held power, out of which former President Olusegun Obasanjo led for 8 years. Obasanjo blatantly created and nurtured some of these national problems plaguing Nigeria to an overwhelming limit with successive administrations feeling the heat of the synthetic problems.”