Political banditry, worse than police brutality
The Catholic Archbishop of Owerri Ecclesiastical Province, Most Rev. Anthony H.V. Obinna, weekend said political banditry was worse than police brutality, as Nigeria grapples with the effects of the recent #EndSARS protest by aggrieved youths.
Reverend Obinna, who spoke while preaching the homily at Maria Assumpta Cathedral, Owerri, said, “We are talking of police brutality but the mother of police brutality of political banditry and robbery by highly placed politicians”.
The cleric observed with regret that many Nigerian politicians had sadly become “distinguished crooks in many ways”, stressing that “they allocate to themselves the highest salaries, beyond salaries of those who hold similar positions in other parts of the world”.
He lamented insinuations that greedy politicians stashed millions of foreign currencies in their homes.
Archbishop Obinna said, “Some have hundreds of latest watches in the world, not for time keeping but for fashion. Others have several cars stashed in their expensive luxurious homes. This is what is creating mass poverty, mass hunger in our land, leading to non-payment of salaries and pensions in many states”.
Obinna was optimistic that “although the #EndSARS revolution which was started by the youngsters may have been somehow aborted, but at least, they have made a major and indelible statement, to show that things cannot be done this way”.