Buhari meets Catholic Bishops in Abuja, says he doesn't have any religious agenda

Buhari meets Catholic Bishops in Abuja, says he doesn't have any religious agenda

APC Presidential candidate, Gen. Buhari and his running  mate, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo met with some Catholic Bishops in Abuja  yesterday February 10th. Speaking during the meeting, Buhari said he had no personal religious agenda and as a practicing Muslim, he doesn't share the views of any extremist group. More pics and what he said after the cut...

Buhari's speech below...

As  our nation approaches perhaps the most crucial election in our history,  all true patriots are called to deeper reflection of the basic  ingredients that bind the nation together- our common freedom, peace and  unity. This reflection is even more relevant in the face of the illegal  postponement of the general elections- a feat achieved through various  sinister ploys and with the sole aim of avoiding the will and verdict of  the people. In all of these, I feel the urgeto communicate some of my  personal vision and thoughts to the people of our great country,  especially on the question of religion, a sensitive matter for many  citizens that has become the most frequently used tool by the ruling  party. This affordsme an opportunity to give my response to the ruling  party’s false propaganda and lies against my person.

Needless  to say, we must at all times hold the unity, peace and progress of our  dear nation paramount and above all other considerations, especially  politics. Those who deliberately disseminate divisive disinformation and  attempt to stoke primordial sentiments using religion or ethnicity and  create fear in the minds of our people fail the standard of patriotism  this nation demands of them and deserves from them. The ruling  government and PDP have adopted this sad divisive and false narrative as  their strategy to prevent the inevitable change that our country and  people desire and require. And they have succeeded in making some of us  victims of the tales which they invent, propagate and sell as gospel  truth to gullible listeners, while it is all nothing but a tissue of  lies.

I  would like to solemnly declare that in spite of what our detractors  say, I am not a religious fanatic of any sort and I have never been. In  all my life, I have never supported extremism of any kind, and nowhere  in my record of service to this nation can this false toga, political  opponents have tried so hard to put on me, be substantiated. Indeed, it  is very unfortunate and I feel extremely sad that I have to give this  type of assurance.

My  background is in the army, and there is no doubt that the military is  the most integrated pan-Nigerian institution. And even today, the  military is one of the institutions that represents the pride of our  nation’s possibilities in unity. Compatriots from every corner of this  country come together, work and live together, entrust their lives to  each other and integrate their families. It is a military where many of  my dearest friends, from all faiths and parts of the country, lost their  lives defending the unity of our nation. That was the military I served  in, and in that military it was impossible to be a bigot.

For  me, the issue of religion was, and should always, be a matter of  personal conviction. This personal conviction approach to religion has  defined my work and interactions all my life, including my tenure in  office as military Head of State. The religion of all those I worked  with was never a factor in their progress or in what happened to them.  All that mattered then, and should still matter today, are competence,  integrity and readiness to be fair to all. 

I was recently informed  that we had a balanced cabinet with key positions such as Finance,  Energy and Defence occupied by Christians. In addition, 11 of the 19  governors I appointed were Christians. My most memorable recollections  of subordinate service was under Christian bosses, the finest our  country had then, and among the most respected today. Indeed one of the  best appraisals I received in the course of my military career was from  General T.Y Danjuma.

Government  has no business preferring one religion to the other. The role of  government is to protect lives and properties of citizens and to respect  and protect their constitutional rights. One critical freedom that  every government must strive to protect is the liberty for citizens to  exercise their respective faiths, Christians and Muslims or others, in a  lawful manner without fear or hindrance and to prosecute those who use  religion as an excuse to destroy homes, schools and places of worship.  When governments fail in that duty, they must then assist in the  rebuilding of structures including destroyed places of worship and  giving full restitution for lost property. We, Nigerians, are a  religious people, and the burning of places of worship constitutes one  of the vilest forms of abomination to all those who believe in God. It  is the duty of governments to protect this important sensitivity.

Let  me state this categorically, that I, MuhammaduBuhari, as an individual,  and as president of this great country by the grace of God, given the  opportunity to serve, have no personal religious agenda. And I will not  entertain, consider or promote the religious agenda of anyone. I will  not condone any initiative that seeks to promote one religion over the  other. Neither I, nor my party, or any member of my team has any desire  or plan to Islamize or Christianize Nigeria or support anyone with such  intention.

Although  I am a practising Muslim, and I have been so all my life, I have never  belonged to, nor shared the views of, any extremist group. I am not even  a cleric. I believe that religion is personal and private. Many of the  people close to me are not of my religion. My cook and driver for 20  years are Christians, Most of my bodyguards are Christians. Some were  killed while protecting me in the terrorist attack on my convoy in  Kaduna. If I have not Islamized these people who serve under me, how  will I Islamize the likes of Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, Ogbonnaya Onu,  Governors RochasOkorocha, Kayode Fayemi, Rotimi Amaechi or Professor  Yemi Osinbajo who is a senior advocate of Nigeria and a pastor? Or how  will I Islamize Nigeria?

Our  constitution, which in many respects, is similar to the American  constitution does not permit a state religion. The Sharia identified in  the constitution is almost synonymous with customary law. It is only  applicable in matters of personal status such as marriage, divorce and  inheritance. This has been the case since the 1979 constitution. Just as  no one can make any customary or any other religious law the law of  Nigeria, so Sharia cannot therefore be the law of Nigeria.

My  record is evidence of this strongly held belief. Before my tenure, the  deadly and violent extremist radical sect, Maitasine carried out  terrorist activities in the north, especially Kano; When it erupted  again in Yola, during my tenure, I took direct command, and personally  led the successful effort to eradicate the threat to our country.  Similarly, when some Chadian insurgents attempted to occupy Nigerian  territory, I led the military confrontation that eliminated the threat.

For  all purposes, we must all learn to live together as brothers and  sisters, because the problems that bedevil our nation do not  discriminate based on religion or ethnicity. Poverty and hunger do not  know or respect religion or creed. When a bomb explodes in a market, it  kills and maims without regard for religion or ethnicity. The millions  of the unemployed youth of our country cut across all tribes and  religions.

Wicked  propagandists continue to spread vicious lies about me for political  gain, including claiming that I once asked Muslims not to vote for  Christians. This must be the height of absurdity. How could I ever say  that, when whoever voted for me would be voting for the Christian  running with me on the same ticket? And how could I ever say that of  Christians when my own holy book, the Qur’an, tells me that in the  entire world those that are nearest in love to me are those who believe  in Jesus Christ [AS]? I ask, who, intending to win any election, ever  does that? How can I choose southern Christian running mates [Chuba  Okadigbo of blessed memory, Pastor Tunde Bakare and Pastor YemiOsinbajo]  and with them by my side make such silly utterances? 

Because they  have no record, they must seek to destroy our own; and because they have  no integrity, they feel they must impugn our own.

We  must reject those who propagate hatred, ethnicity, divisiveness,  sectionalism or seek to manipulate our religious differences in such  cynical fashion. On our part, we will remain undeterred: our commitment  is to bring about change in the way we live and think and work in this  nation; and our goal is to ensure a decent existence for all. And, by  the Grace of God, that is what we will do—we will remain true to our  commitment and we will achieve our goal.

May God bless Nigeria and its people for all time.

General Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR

Source: Buhari meets Catholic Bishops in Abuja, says he doesn't have any religious agenda