…Buhari has abandoned governance for foreign interests, political persecution – Fayose
President Muhammadu Buhari late Monday in Malabo received Equatorial Guinea’s highest national honour, the Grand Collar of the Order of the Independence, and dedicated it to the people of Nigeria, who, he said have worked tirelessly for peace in the country and Africa.
“I will like to express profound gratitude for the honour given to me and my people.
“There has never been a time for greater neighbourliness on our continent in the interest of peace, security and economic stability than now,” Buhari said at the investiture ceremony.
The President said that as African countries faced common challenges, they must strive to cooperate more to find workable solutions that will facilitate rapid socio-economic development on the continent.
President Buhari pledged that under his leadership, Nigeria will continue to make significant contributions to peace, political stability and progress in Africa.
President Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea said that the honour was conferred on President Buhari for his “personal integrity, exemplary leadership style and courage to fight terrorism in order to ensure peace and safety in Africa”.
“We deemed it fit and appropriate to honour this son of Africa for the great work he is doing, which includes tackling Boko Haram, a great menace to the continent,” President Mbasogo said.
However, Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose has urged President Mohammadu Buhari to pay more attention to security and economic issues affecting Nigeria, instead of focussing on those of other countries and persecuting perceived political enemies, describing the President’s condemnation of Sunday’s terrorist attack on the Grand Bassam Resort in Cote D’Ivoire as hypocritical and demonstration of insensitivity to the plight of Nigerians.
The governor, who described terror attacks anywhere in the world as condemnable, said; “If President Buhari could afford to pick his phone and call the Ivorian president, Alassane Ouattara, immediately after the attack, Nigerians must ask the President why he kept mute for days over the Fulani herdsmen massacre of over 300 Agatu people of Benue State, the Mile 12 Lagos killings and wanton destruction of properties
among others.”
In a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, Governor Fayose said it was strange that President Buhari was more concerned with the killing of 16 people in Cote D’Ivoire than the Fulani herdsmen’s murder of over 300 citizens of Nigeria.
He said it was alarming that even when someone of the status of former Senate President, David Mark was attacked by the Fulani herdsmen last Saturday when he went on inspection of the eight communities completely destroyed by the Fulani herdsmen, there was no reaction from the President condemning the terror attack.
The governor said; “From all indications, our President has abandoned governance. The only thing going on in the minds of those running the affairs of this country in Abuja is how to entrench themselves in power by crushing anyone perceived as capable of hindering them.
“That is the reason they are using the Department of State Services (DSS) to harass and intimidate us here in Ekiti, under flimsy excuses like investigation members of the State House of Assembly for alleged forgery of tax certificates when the Ekiti State Government, which issued the certificates have not complained to the DSS that its tax certificates were forged by the lawmakers.
