The Bishop, Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Most Rev. Bishop Matthew Kukah
Catholic bishops back Kukah on U.S Congress presentation, advise FG to learn from criticism
Catholic Bishops of Ibadan Ecclesiastical Province have backed Bishop Mathew Kukah of the Sokoto Catholic Diocese over his recent presentation before the United States Congress on security situation in Nigeria,and state-sponsored terrorism and killing of Christians in troubled regions of the country.
Rising from their meeting of bishops from the Ibadan Archdiocese, as well as those from the Ilorin, Ondo, Oyo, Ekiti, and Osogbo dioceses, the clerics issued a communiqué berating the Presidency for attacking Bishop Kukah over his statements before the United States lawmakers, advising the Federal Government to ‘learn not to see criticism as an attack or a crime.’
The bishops who backed Kukah’s presentation as verifiable, said President Muhammadu Buhari has indeed openly shown preference to people of like religion.
It would be recalled that following Bishop’s no-holds bared virtual presentation before the U.S Congress, last week, the Nigerian Presidency, through the President’s media aide, garba Shehu accused the cleric of plotting ‘sow discord and strife among Nigerians.’
“Bishop Kukah, in his patriotic and frank presentation, called attention to some verifiable data and statistics about the Nigerian situation on that privileged international platform. He spoke for authentic Christians and Muslims who are under persecution. No doubt, he intended to solicit the support of that forum which many Nigerians believe holds the promise of some assistance and relief from our current national crises.
“The Federal Government however has characteristically gone up in arms against the person of Bishop Kukah and his purpose. It is commonly said that when there is a problem in a democracy, more democracy is needed to solve it. Sadly enough, our current federal government does not seem to subscribe to this.
“For the sake of our democracy, that right, exercised with responsibility, must be protected. We support Bishop Kukah in his effort to unveil the truth about the Nigerian situation in order to ameliorate things. We call on the Nigerian government to learn not to see criticism as an attack or a crime.
“We declare again, as we have done often in the past, that only the truth can set us free.
“The attempt of the Nigerian National Assembly to silence the press and penalise journalists for merely doing their job is to be completely rejected.
“We hold that the freedom of expression is a fundamental human right, guaranteed by the constitution and cannot be alienated by any government least of all in a democracy.
“For the sake of our democracy, that right exercised with responsibility, must be protected,” the communiqué read in part.
