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| Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Matthew Kukah |
The Catholic Bishop of
Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Matthew Kukah, has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to
stop agonizing about the past administration but to tackle the challenges
facing the country.
The
Punch report continues:
He
said Nigerians did not vote for him (Buhari) to complain about previous
government but to perform better than his predecessor.
The
clergymen stated this at a dinner organized by the Ondo State Government after
the 2016 Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria held in Akure, the state
capital on Wednesday.
He
said, “We didn’t vote a government to complain about yesterday, if we
wanted yesterday the new government would not be there. The previous government
didn’t only do bad things; he did a lot of good things.
“I
think the business of government is not our business; our business is, the
previous government did bad, that is why we voted a new government. It is
really about taking responsibility. No matter how much you praise or abuse
(former President Goodluck) Jonathan, he is no more the President of Nigeria. I
think that people must understand that you take power to solve problems not to
agonize.
“We
are not asking you to change the whole world, but Jonathan created problems: we
are now riding a train between Abuja and Kaduna now; the train wasn’t there
before. Things that Jonathan did that can help Nigeria, let’s continue with
them. The bad things that Jonathan did and those who deserve to go to prison
should go to prison. “
Kukah
added that the only way the current administration could succeed in fighting
corruption was to first solve the problem of poverty and inequality in the
country.
“I
still believe that unless we get to the root cause of poverty and inequality,
which are really the evidences and symptoms of corruption; you can talk of
fighting corruption all the rest of your life and very little is going to
happen.
“Sending
people to prison will only be useful if it puts bread on the table of the
people,” the Catholic cleric said.
In
his remarks at the dinner, the Ondo State Governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, reiterated
his call for the restructuring of Nigeria to reflect the needed true federalism
as the only panacea for the development of the country.
Mimiko
expressed worries that the Federal Government was biting more than it could
chew with the larger percentage of the resources at its disposal to the
detriment of the federating units.
The
governor posited that the problem of corruption facing Nigeria could be
addressed with the right policy.
He
called for the prayers of the religious leaders in the country to tackle
inter-religious conflicts, noting that the (conflicts) might lead the country
to more danger that might be difficult to overcome.
“Government
has the responsibility of bringing these bigots to book. We are not comfortable
with what the bigots are doing. What they are doing is most worrisome in
Nigeria. The Church has a major role to play by praying for Nigeria,” the
governor added.
Meanwhile,
about 200 pastors and bishops from the Anglican Church across
Nigeria are currently in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, for a
one-week conference where they would pray for the peace, security and
development of the country.
The
Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom, while declaring the conference open at
the Benue State University, Makurdi, expressed excitement that the state was
hosting the All Anglican Clergy Conference and assured the pastors that their
security would be guaranteed.
Ortom
said, ‘’The government and people of the state believe in divine intervention
in human affairs and my conviction accounted for the dedication of the state to
God at the end of May, this year.
“My
faith in God right from my teenage years has accounted for my elevation from a
humble beginning to the present status and I’m resolute in my determination to
serve God wholeheartedly.’’
He
expressed appreciation to the Primate of the Church, Most Reverend Bishop
Nicholas Okoh, and other clergy and the laity of the church, for making
themselves available for God to use them to bless the present generation.
Ortom
urged them to carry on with their activities at the conference without any fear
of molestation and advised Benue people to put their trust in God to experience
breakthrough in all facets of life.
He
said he was sure that the conference would bring blessings to the people of the
state as well as all the delegates.
The
governor assured the people that his administration was working tirelessly to
revamp the agricultural value chain, which he said, would turn around the
economy for the better.
In
his remark, Okoh thanked Ortom for his contributions toward the success of the
conference.
He reiterated the anti-gay stand of the Anglican Church in Nigeria and advised members of the clergy who had gay tendencies to resign their position honourably or risk being disgraced out of the church.
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