The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto
Diocese and Convener of the National Peace Committee, Bishop Matthew Hassan
Kukah, has described Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State as a poor
representation of the teeming Nigerian youths.
Speaking against the backdrop of
the current disturbing violence in the North Central state ahead of the
November 11 governorship election, Bishop Kukah believed, “Sadly, I think he’s
been a very poor advertisement for what young people can do.”
He added, “I feel very sad
because Kogi has been on the front burner, and Yahaya Bello, the governor,
prided himself on being the youngest governor and being a representation of
what the youths of this country can do if they are given the opportunity.”
Speaking during an interview on
ChannelS TV Sunrise Daily Programme on Wednesday, Bishop Kukah observed that
Governor Bello, 48, became the Kogi State Chief Executive in 2015 after the
death of Abubakar Audu, who was initially the governorship candidate of the All
Progressives Congress (APC) and has been elected for a second term in November
2019.
Bishop Kukah sued for peace on
the current face-off between the labour movement leadership in the country and
the Imo state government, saying that all parties and stakeholders concerned
should sheath their swords and allow for peaceful elections in the State.
He urged organised labour to
explore a peaceful resolution to the conflict, saying that Nigerians keep
making the point that the people who are contesting elections are their sons
and daughters and that whatever we do, in conscience, Nigerians must always
think about the common good.
He advised that civil society
organisations, unions, and churches with a bit of moral authority must always
act in the common interest of everybody, pointing out that without a country,
there will be no trade union, as all that is needed to be done is to look
outside the window and see what is happening in the Middle East today,
specifically in Israel and Gaza.
According to him, when elections
go wrong, it is ordinary people who suffer and he hoped that the labour leaders
in Imo would really be more circumspect and ask themselves, ‘Who stands to gain
and who stands to lose what?’ believing that, at the end of the day, it is the
people of Imo, who are not electing someone who is outside their state.
Bishop Kukah noted that Imo is a
deeply Christian environment and hoped their religious leaders and others with
moral authority could prevail on the union to defer whatever their grievance
may be, saying that it can only be resolved in a peaceful environment.
He appealed to the police and
other relevant agencies to ensure security during the governorship elections in
the three states, saying that the people’s welfare and well-being cannot be sacrificed
on the altar of personal or group interests.
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