Nobody can stop Kukah from speaking against bad governance — Onaiyekan
Nobody can stop the Bishop of Sokoto, Most Rev. Matthew Kukah, from speaking out against bad governance in the country, according to His Eminence John Cardinal Onaiyekan, Emeritus Catholicolic Archbishop of Abuja.
The Presidency described President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration’s bashing by Kukah as ungodly, accusing him of playing partisan politics in his Easter message.
On the other hand, Onaiyekan, who was a guest on AIT’s morning show, Kakaaki, which was broadcast live by Vanguard in Abuja, said that genuine religious leaders had a role to play in politics, which included advancing the path of the masses and speaking truth to power in the name of God.
“With all due respect to whoever is speaking on behalf of the White House, he has a faulty understanding of politics. Perhaps politics is just a game he and his friends play in the middle of the night.”
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We are all expected to be politicians if we accept politics as the process of organizing and managing a society for the greater good.
“Does that mean that if we (religious leaders) tell the truth and strive to improve our country, we should keep quiet because we’re playing politics?” No, we’re not interested. We’ll try to converse.
“People play various roles in the overall project of nation-building and good governance. Mr. President’s position is, of course, the most significant in terms of organization. If you are a true religious leader, your job should be to be able to talk in God’s name.
“So, let no one stop Kukah and other religious leaders from speaking from their hearts. They cannot force you (the government) anyways.
“Kukah has no plans to overthrow Buhari. He just cares for the people he sees on a daily basis.
Kukah is speaking for a large number of people who do not have a voice. What we expected from the Presidency was that it would listen to Kukah’s remarks and address each issue one by one, possibly providing explanations if necessary, and ideally taking his message into account in its plans “According to Onaiyekan.
Speaking about former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi’s joint call for amnesty for bandits and terrorists, Onaiyekan said the initiative would be a “cosmetic solution” to the country’s security problems and would breed more criminals in some areas.
