Matthew Kukah, bishop of Sokoto Catholic diocese, says
President Muhammadu Buhari has failed in his duties to Nigerians.
In a statement on Sunday, Kukah said the president’s
policies have fuelled corruption, social and religious wars, adding that Buhari
has neglected the constitution’s federal character provisions.
According to the cleric, nepotism has eaten deep into the
country as a result of “entrusting power into the hands of mediocre who operate
as a cult and see power purely as an extension of the family heirloom.”
“It is sad that despite your lofty promises, you are leaving us far more vulnerable than when you came, that the corruption we thought would be fought has become a leviathan and sadly, a consequence of a government marked by nepotism,” Kukah said.
“A caste system has
emerged in our country. It has consolidated its hold and blunted the cutting
edge of all institutions. A majority of its children are swimming against the
tide for survival with no support while the other caste smiles in the comfort
of their life jackets.
“Clearly, in almost every department and with all
indicators, our nation has become a tale of two cities. We have wars between
the rich and the poor, men and women, across generations, along party lines,
social classes, religion, ethnicity and so on. The centre has given up in
almost every department. Fixing our country and getting it back requires
courage, honesty, truth, humility, trust and firm commitment. Lies and
blackmail are no substitute.”
The bishop’s comment comes weeks after he asked Nigerians not
to fight over politicians who are after pecuniary gains but consider them as
friends who should not be regarded seriously.
In his Christmas message, Kukah reiterated his position,
asking Nigerians to come together and erect new mechanisms for saying no to the
“violence of governance”.
“Why has progress eluded us? Who would have imagined, after
listening to the campaign speeches ahead of the 2015 elections, the new
president’s inaugural speech, that we will be so worse off than we were? Yet,
it could get even worse if we do not pause and pause very seriously,” the
cleric said.
“We need a new strategy to confront those who sit on the
throne of power in arrogance and are determined to reduce our country to a
jungle. We need a new strategy that separates men and women of honour from
those who have chosen dishonour.
“We need a new strategy that provides a clearer moral guide
for ordinary citizens who, based on the moral strength of culture and religion,
are seeking to build a good society, even if with straws. We need to stand up
and stand firm. We need new mechanisms for saying no to the violence of
governance.”
On Saturday, Buhari said he is doing his best for Nigerians
but it is not good enough.
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
No comments
Post a Comment
Kindly drop a comment below.
(Comments are moderated. Clean comments will be approved immediately)
Advert Enquires - Reach out to us at NigerianEye@gmail.com