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From Tunde Omolehin, Sokoto
Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Matthew Kukah, has expressed worries over the rising numbers of deaths under the President Muhammadu Buhari.
He lamented that his views on the worsening security situation in the country have been misconstrued as a personal attack to the president by those who are closer to him in government.
Speaking at an interactive session with journalists in Sokoto, yesterday, the cleric reiterated that the president owed Nigerians explanations on the rising kidnappings and killings.
“Everything I have said about Buhari’s government is not personal. Remember that I have said similar things about previous governments, depending on their wickedness or wrongdoings as at that time. Honestly, if you ask me two things that bother me about Buhari’s government, I will say one, the loss of human lives, secondly, the government’s favouritism approach by allocating positions to a section of the country.”
He urged Nigerians to alway keep their leaders awake to live up to their statutory responsibility.
“This country is at the natural face of crisis. We are not dying because we are Christians or Muslims. It is because the government has failed to protect us from the criminals. Today, we are only living in this country by the grace of God.”
He urged the leaders of the country to always see Nigeria as a bigger entity and focus more on her common citizenship rather than religion and tribal identity.
Kukah maintained that as a priest, he would continue to speak truth to power, saying he would welcome anyone with valid arguments to counter his views.
“I have always been a critic of any government in this country. But the most important thing is for anyone who wants to counter my criticism to first come with valid and superior arguments. I realised that we are indifferent to learning how to disagree with each other for the purpose of agreeing with ourselves.”
