Most Rev. Nicholas Okoh, Primate of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, has rated President Muhammadu Buhari’s war against corruption high.
He, however, warned the president to be careful of his appointees.
Okoh disclosed that those around Buhari may discredit him, if he allowed them control his government.
“Going by the anti-corruption crusade, he has succeeded. Not necessarily judging by the number of people who have been jailed, not necessarily judging by the amount of money recovered, but by emphasising the fact that corruption is a wrong thing and it should not become our way of life”, Independent quoted him as saying.
”That is the only success: to tell our ministers, to tell our governors, to tell our vice chancellors, to tell our head of institutions and anybody holding any appointment that stealing government money is not a correct thing. By that crusade alone, I think he has succeeded in doing something.
”We have lost the sense of sin in this country. In fact, some people started calling it miracle. They steal and say the miracle has happened. They go to church to go and do thanksgiving for doing a wrong thing.
“So, if only that recall to the knowledge of evil, to the sense of sin and the need for national rebirth, if only for that, I think he has done well.
“On other matters, I will appeal to him to spread his love across the country. Nigerians call him Baba. He should merit the title. Baba is a noble respectable title and he deserves it at his age.
“But if he is not careful in the way he allows his subordinates to help him in running the place, they will discredit him greatly. Because if you say you are the head, you are the leader and all your children cannot come close to you, then what is the meaning of the Baba? A Baba should attract all his children.
“We are Africans. If you locate that in the African polygamous system, a man can have as many as five wives. If children from a particular woman call the man Baba and he doesn’t want to answer, it means he is discriminating against those ones. So, there should be fair treatment,” he added.
