President Muhammadu Buhari has been berated for receiving a Martin Luther King Jr award said to be undeserving.
President Muhammadu Buhari posing with a member of Martin Luther King Jr family
Martin Luther King Jr’s family has been criticized by a pro-democracy group in Nigeria, Concerned Nigerians, for giving leadership award to President Muhammau Buhari.
The group contended that Buhari does not deserve such an award. According to the group, America’s foremost Civil rights activist stood and died for justice, but the actions and inactions of Buhari since he was sworn in as the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria negates the ideals and principles Marthin Luther King Jr upheld.
Theophilus Abu Agada, National Publicity Secretary of the group said, under the current administration, the leader of Islamic Movement of Nigeria, Sheik Ibrahim Zakzaky and his wife have been illegally detained for over 800 days against a valid court order that says they should be released unconditionally.
“Many today in Nigeria are in political servitude because they do not belong to President Buhari’s political party”, he said in a statement.
“Marthin Luther King Jr had a dream, a dream where his four little children Would live in a nation that they will not be Judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
“However, in our country Nigeria, the man that is being honored with Marthin Luther King jr’s legacy of equality and justice is known to be a despotic, tribalistic and nepotistic leader who has refused to adhere to the principles of federal character that allows equal opportunity for all.
“The president sees people from other region and ethnic nationalities as lesser beings that must not be given an opportunity to serve in some sensitive positions of government.
“He categorized citizens from Southern Nigeria as 5% people that must not enjoy what people from his 97% region who overwhelmingly voted for him should enjoy.
“Minority Christians in the North have suffered so many losses, with the president abetting and pampering the perpetrators of the genocide that is ongoing in the North-Central region and Southern part of Kaduna state.
“We condemn in its entirety, this prestigious award that was conferred on the president.
“He doesn’t deserve the award and as such, we are calling on the family of Marthin Luther King Jr not to compromise the legacy of Rev. Luther by giving award to people that are undeserving”.