- Muslim Coalition condemns onslaught against Kukah
“Laws alone cannot secure freedom of expression. In order that every man present his views without penalty, there must be spirit of tolerance in the entire population.”
― Albert Einstein
Amidst the controversy generated by his Christmas day message, the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto diocese, Dr. Matthew Hassan Kukah, insists that his opinion is based on evidence and the situation in Nigeria.
Addressing journalists on Monday, Kukah who had accused President Muhammadu Buhari of nepotism in his Christmas message said he never called for a coup.
The Bishop had in his message also pointed out that there could have been a coup if a non-northern Muslim President did a fraction of what Buhari has done.
Already the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF) has called for the prosecution of Kukah for allegedly demanding a coup. They described the bishop’s comments as “treasonable”.
In his address to reporters on Monday, Kukah said: “The loss of lives in the last ten years, even before the advent of this administration, calls for concern,” he said.
“The reactions are a reflection of every citizen that make ups Nigeria. It is sad that when you drop something in Nigeria, everybody goes back to their enclave and abandons the larger picture. I am someone who never takes offence to what people say about me.
“What I said was my opinion based on evidence and what has happened in Nigeria, and if you looked into the records, there is evidence that justifies that statement, and if anyone thinks I am wrong, they should come out with a superior position.
“It is unfair for a journalist or news medium to report that I called for a coup while expressing my personal view about Nigeria. To those calling him to drop his priesthood cassock and join the political fray, the outspoken cleric said if he was to join politics, it would have been during the time of late Aminu Kano and not now.”
Noting that he has no plans to indulge in partisan politics, the Bishop added: “I have no plan and will never play partisan politics for any reason. Those who link my message to partisan politics are only playing to the gallery,” he said.
“Take, for instance, brilliant Nigerian youths making comments about Chelsea or Arsenal and have never been to England, does that make them players of such club sides?
“So, why will someone think because Bishop Kukah is speaking therefore he is a politician? People who make this argument are totally ignorant of elementary politics and ignorant of the role of a Priest.
“The truth is that a lot of us have not seen a priest saying what I am saying. The truth of the matter is, we are all in politics, but party politics for me, no. I am not a member of any political party and I cannot be. If it comes to voting, I do my right.
“Whatever I said can please or displease anyone, but that is my own opinion and doesn’t stop others from saying their own opinion. If you think my motive is wrong, say yours.”
In the meantime, the coalition of Nigerian Muslim Professionals has called out those disparaging Bishop Kukah for speaking the truth to power.
While some other religious groups have reviled Kukah for his stance against misgovernance by the present administration the coalition urged President Buhari to take it as a wake-up call.
A statement signed by the group’s National Coordinator, Prof. Mohammed Inuwa, said Buhari may have meant well for the country but faulted the President in some actions taken by his administration which it said was not promoting unity.
The Muslim coalition condemned attacks trailing Kukah’s Christmas Day Message, where he bemoaned the state of the nation, warning that unless leaders sit up, Nigeria was heading towards a failed state.
Kukah had also accused President Buhari of piloting Nigeria into darkness in the message titled: “A Nation in Search of Vindication.”
The Bishop had emphasised the worsening state of insecurity in the country and berated the current administration of glaringly abandoning the nation’s extant federal character principles and rather promoting nepotism with impunity.
The development has been drawing criticisms from the President’s friends and political associates.
The Coalition said instead of vilifying the cleric, it would be to the President’s best interests to take Bishop’s message as a wake-up call to adjust for the good of Nigeria
It noted that promoting the interest of one region against others is not what a good leader is known for, adding that in as much as it loves the president, the coalition will want him to leave a legacy of a united Nigeria.
However, the coalition commended Kukah for what they described as “his boldness to speak truth to power”, faulting those vilifying him.
The Nigerian Muslim Professionals took a swipe at those trolling the Bishop, saying they were doing it for their pecuniary gains and not the interest of the country.
It warned against twisting the message to mean the Bishop endorses coup, saying contrary to those promoting that insinuation, the revered Bishop was too learned to support such ignoble path to installing leadership, saying Nigerians with a conscience would not fall to the antics of those twisting the Bishop’s message for selfish reasons.
The group said having followed Bishop Kukah’s activities and preachings since the days of the military, it was convinced that not too many Nigerians took the interest of the country at heart like Bishop Kukah.
“Even during the military era where people dreaded the powers that be at the time, Bishop Kukah, who was then a Catholic priest spoke truth to those at the helm of affairs without fear or favour. He has shown through his actions all the years that he is a true son of Nigeria in particular and Africa in general.
“We should support him for being bold enough to come out to speak what many Nigerians know is the truth but afraid to speak out for fear of the leadership.
“While we must admit that President Muhammad Buhari means well for the nation, we must say that most people in his government are grossly incompetent and don’t deserve to stay around power even in an uncivilized space,” the statement said.
The group said it would not shy away from the truth even though most of the president’s actions drawing criticisms were in favour of its region.
It flayed the glaring marginalisation of the Igbos in every facet of national life, saying the development was not promoting national cohesion which nationalists that laid down their lives for the country’s independence wanted.
“There’s nothing wrong with Bishop Kukah’s statement in the actual sense. Some regions particularly the South East has been marginalized in successive governments and the administration of President Muhammad Buhari came and amplified it with the worst,” it said in the statement.
It described those attacking Kukah as faceless individuals who were being promoted by selfish people in leadership to silence the truth.
The statement added: “We strongly condemn the wrong approach taken to respond to a message by a patriotic Nigerian by these incompetent people working to derail the president’s agenda.
“It is completely wrong to be attacking Bishop Kukah by some faceless sponsored groups. Bishop Kukah did not in any way call for a coup, he is too learned to do that.
“We stand completely with Bishop Kukah; this government must be fair to all Nigerians irrespective of tribe and religion.”
