A civil society group, Concerned Nigerians, has criticised the decision of the family of the late American civil rights activist, Mr. Martin Luther King Jr., to confer President Muhammadu Buhari with the Black History Award for Exceptional Leadership in Africa.
A civil society group, Concerned Nigerians, has criticised the decision of the family of the late American civil rights activist, Mr. Martin Luther King Jr., to confer President Muhammadu Buhari with the Black History Award for Exceptional Leadership in Africa.
The group made its position known in a statement signed by Mr. Theophilus Abu Agada, its National Publicity Secretary.
"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," said Concerned Nigerians.
According to the group, the late Mr. King Jr. was America’s foremost civil rights activist, who stood and died for justice, leading a non-violent revolution against racial inequality. It argued that the performance of President Buhari in office is the antithesis of what Mr. King Jr. fought and died for.
"Marthin Luther King Jr. fought for freedom, but today, under President Muhammadu Buhari, 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," said Concerned Nigerians.
It also noted that President BuhariMarthin Luther King Jr had a dream is a despotic, tribalistic and nepotistic leader, who is against making Nigetian equal opportunity society."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.
"The Christian minority in the North has 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," said the group.