The Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere has reacted to the manner President Muhammadu Buhari apologized to Nigerians whom he felt he might have offended in the course of governance.
Afenifere said Nigerians would forgive the president if he can alleviate suffering and hardship in the country before he relinquishes power to the incoming administration on May 29.
The president on Friday April 21 begged Nigerians whom he might have hurt while carrying out his official duties.
The Nigerian leader told those he might have offended to forgive him.
The President also commended the people of the country for overlooking his shortcomings since he’s been in office.
The spokesperson of Afenifere, Jare Ajayi in a statement said it would have been better if the president had danced to “the unfriendly, if not retrogressive, steps his administration had being taken”.
“The maxim has it that ‘to err is human, to forgive is divine.’ Without deceiving ourselves, the Nigerian government under the outgoing President Muhammadu Buhari certainly ‘hurt’ a lot of people (to use his own word),” the group said.
“Some of them are even no longer alive. Some who are alive have wounds that can hardly ever heal. Both physical and psycho-social wounds. Because the Almighty created many humans to have large hearts, many whom the President had hurt may forgive him.
“That is for those who are alive. But then, what about thousands who have died as a result of avoidable acts that can easily be traced to the government such as non-provision of security and welfare as clearly enshrined in the Constitution?”
Afenifere said many people would be ready to forgive the president if he can make ”dramatic changes” in his policies within the remaining days in office and neutralize the suffering of the people.
“Bandits now even have the effrontery to go and abduct people from their homes as happened to one Adebukola in Ondo State, to a former deputy governor of Nasarawa State, Prof Onje Gye-Wado, to the driver of the incumbent Nasarawa State deputy governor, to one Muhammadu Jibril in Ago Igbira, Osun State and to over 100 students of Federal Government College, Yauri, Kebbi State, who were abducted from their hostels – to mention a few,” the group said.