By Clifford Ndujihe, Dapo Akinrefon & Charles Kumolu

LAGOS — THE Presidency,  yesterday, refused to join issues with Archbishop Emeritus of the Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos, Anthony Cardinal Okogie, over his comments that  Nigeria was sliding into a police state and that President Muhammadu Buhari was running a one-man-show.

Cardinal Okogie

Contacted on the comments, two senior Presidency officials said they would not reply the septuagenarian and revered cleric.

However, former Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Abubakar Tsav, and Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, disagreed with Cardinal Okogie.

Buhari can only succeed by being tough —Tsav

Tsav said: “Everybody is entitled to his opinion. But it is not true that Nigeria has become a police state under Buhari’s watch. I don’t think the respected Cardinal is right on that. What Nigerians owe Buhari now is maximum support because of the rot he met on ground.

“Before Jonathan, Asara Dokubo was imprisoned for treasonable charges, but people called for his release, which the government heeded. Asari came out and continued with threats that could be described as war drums during the administration of Jonathan.

“Buhari is just trying to ensure that the country becomes a better place. What we expect the respected cardinal to do is to support efforts at making those who stole get justice. Offenders deserve to be condemned no matter how highly placed. If they are spared as some are suggesting, it will not be fine considering the fact that ordinary Nigerians are being jailed for petty offences.  The perception that the fight against corruption is one-sided is not wrong because it was bound to be so. After all, those, who benefited from Jonathan were his party members. That is why those rushing to the All Progressives Congress, APC, are to be investigated properly to ascertain whether they are running away from justice. For the country to be better, Buhari has to be strong; if he is soft, progress will not be made. And I think God brought Buhari at this time because he is capable of addressing most of the challenges in the country.”

Okogie is entitled to his opinion —SERAP

The Executive Director of the SERAP, Adetokunbo Mumuni, said it was impossible for the president to run a one-man-show.

He said: “Cardinal Okogie is entitled to his opinion because I don’t know in what context he made that statement. But if indeed he made the statement, nobody can run a one man show in a democracy. That is clear. There are three arms of government, which are independent and I know that there is a constitution in Nigeria. Nothing has been done, in my own opinion, in what has been happening so far, that runs contrary to the provisions of the constitution.”

How Buhari is running a one-man-show —Okogie

In a statement, he issued on Sunday, Okogie had said: “A lot of Nigerians are beginning to feel that Buhari is fast transforming this nation into a police state where the president, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and the Department of State Services, DSS, rule the day, according to a statement obtained by Per Second News.

“What they say is given lurid headlines in the media, and it seems to all that some of the defendants cum accused persons are being tried in the press with information conveniently slipping into the hands of the press, presumably from the security agencies, even before such people have been charged to court.

“Unfortunately, democracy is difficult and this government must realise that democracy pervasively coloured with impunity, arbitrariness and high-handedness, cannot be used to fight and correct the financial impunity and reckless abandon of the previous administration, even if it is more difficult to do so; the rule of law must be obeyed and be the order of the day.

“If Buhari wants to leave a creditable legacy come 2019, he should retool the bureaucracy. For instance, the roof of the Central Bank is leaking water. Governors, who arm-twisted Okonjo-Iweala into signing out our reserves held by the Central Bank, are today ministers in the All Progressives Congress, APC, government.

“We are still talking about change and corruption when old things refuse to pass away. These political gimmicks can only carry away gullible or naive Nigerians. President Buhari should beam his flash light on policies and programmes that will lift up the masses.”

“A snail-paced and disordered methodology in governance, his apparent disdain for judicial authorities and decisions, a lost today and found tomorrow 2016 Budget debacle, and a rather rudderless and confused Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN with an unclear monetary policy strategy (inevitably increasing the economic uncertainties being faced by Nigerians), have set alarm bells ringing in my mind and in the minds of many discerning Nigerians.

“Our Change must change something. How could we continue to talk of change in a static system? How could we be talking of change when the same crew are governors, ministers, senators, and members of the House of Representatives? This is a cyclical devolution of power to the same people who are never out of power!

“What sort of change is the President talking about? When will the youth take over when even a governor does not take a bow and go? When shall we plan for the replacement of delinquent leadership? This is what constitutes change. Change is not changing from Jonathan to Buhari.

“Change is behavioural and pervades all levels of society including the family, the church, the mosque, schools, market women and business men. When we talk of change, we talk of positive-salutary, healthy growth and development oriented change that

cuts across the entire gamut of the society.

“What sort of change is this that ignores the glaring unequal distribution of national income? It is absurd that the same government that is unable to pay N18,000 per month to the lowest grade of labour can afford to pay N1.8 million per month to anyone in the economy. Why must tax payers’ money be used to feed Mr. President and his family? Why must the tax payers’ money be used to buy brand new exotic vehicles for the legislature, judges, ministers and governors when they are heavily paid?

“Indeed, his perceived discordant relationship with the leadership of the Legislature has many naysayers chuckling and remarking that President Buhari’s government is heading into his comfort zone, a one man show.”