By Ayodele Fagbohun
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Bishop Mathew Hassan Kukah’s last Christmas message to his laity will continue to generate much furore in the public domain for sometime to come. The message was a dare-devil and piercing warning to President Muhammadu Buhari to brace himself and buckle down to serious and earnest business of governance.
More essentially at this in-auspicious time and critical juncture in the annals of the nation’s history when the economy has nosedived, in comatose, intractable and unprecedented general insecurity in the land. It is necessary, pertinent to be reassured that Mr. President is actually in charge not an absentist Chief helm’s man overwhelmed with arduous and herculean task of government beyond his ken.
Notwithstanding the plain truth that the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Dr Mathew Kukah is an inveterate critic of President Muhammadu Buhari and the cleric would not condescend of Buhari’s second coming into office after his military dictatorship as head of state. Let alone having him permanently ensconced as two term elected President.
For, at the peak of electioneering’s, Rev. Father Kukah literally cast off his cassock; a droitly and conspiratorially unleashed campaign of tirade and denigration against the presidential candidacy of Muhammadu Buhari under the platform of All Progressives’ Party (APC).
This ugly scenario was enacted in the inner sanctum, presidential library built and donated to the former President Olusegun Obasanjo. All in pretext of brokering truce with the estranged vice president, Alhaji Abubakar Atiku, the rival candidate in the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) a beautiful bride and preferred candidate to Muhammadu Buhari.
However, the conspiracy collapsed to the dust, Muhammadu Buhari, the flagbearer of APC won the election and roundly defeated Atiku of the PDP.
That should have been enough reason and prima facie evidence to completely silence and run aground the remnants of the People’s Democratic Party in cahoots with the agents provocateur, neo colonialists and fascists in the garb of former military generalissimos and the self serving politicians, and their corrupt collaborators in the public service.
They all live as buccaneers, political sadists and economic vermin who dole out peanuts to the people and recklessly and unashamedly pillage the economy left, right and centre with brazen impunity.
That was what was in stock and played out remorselessly and without scruples during the 16 years of inglorious, barbark and heinous rule comprised in large quantum a matley array of social condemned individuals across in the country.
Alas, it is glaringly manifest that Buhari led APC administration right from day one played to the gallery, jettisoned its well orchestrated lofty campaign promises and laudable social welfarist package and toe the line of perdition and calamity like the outgone rapacious People’s Democratic Party’s administration.
Only the good conduct and exemplary service of President Buhari could be vouchsafed as an incorruptible leader.
However, Nigerians are no longer whispering but think cloud and clear that Mr. President is not in charge again and apparently cluster around himself notorious and impervious cabal who violently usurp and abuse the ennobling power of democracy and brazenly corner the juicy resources available in the national coffers to the greed of highly privileged few.
Why for instance should the Christian clergy especially the Catholic confession could not lend their supposedly strong voices to the enthronement of progressive government in Nigeria, always at logger heads with some progressive forces and unfortunately had comfort on the pretences and spurious claims of the conservatives whose administrations invariably plunged the country into irredeemable sorry pass.
I recall the unmitigated attack and vituperation of His Eminence, Former Catholic Bishop of Lagos see, Olubunmi Okogie against the Progressive Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) administration of Lateef Kayode Jakande over school take-over in Lagos State (1979-1983) vis-à-vis Catholic Mission Schools.
Okogie had an axe to grind and also have a running battle with the late against, veteran school administrator founder, Mayflower, School Ikenne, Ogun State and a social reformer, Dr. Tai Solarin and Chief Obafemi Awolowo, the protagonist and implement or of free education in Nigeria.
The opposition from the clergy man were mere smokescreen and futile attempts to thwart free education in Nigeria.
Again, peruse what Cardinal Olubunmi Okogie said recently on corruption and Nigeria’s uncertain futures.
“Finally, Nigeria is a sinking ship being navigated by pirates. There is need to take urgent steps to rescue Nigeria from the hands of brigands. Not to do so would amount to flirting with violence. The current level of corruption is dangerous. The anger of the people may lead to violent uprising whose consequences we cannot foresee.
“Let us step back from the road to bloodshed.” I am not holding any brief on the alarming incidence of ineptitude and poor governance in the Buhari led APC administration.
What I am saying in essence is that it’s more tragic to throw out the baby with bath water.
The endemic problem of corruption, indiscipline and other attendant vices wanting to swallow up the country in a fell swoop and its solution are expressly enshrined and elucidated in the APC party constitution and manifestoes.
Nigeria smaller than one tiny state in the United States of America can still be mobilized for efficient and effectively service delivery given right type of progressive ideological leaning.
It is silly and a great affront for common herd’s men to threaten and intimidate who naturally wield stick and some daggers to safeguard their herds owned by some faceless rich men in our midst. Or are the cows.
It is wrong and overblown out of proportion for Bishop Kukah to say that a fraction of what Buhari is doing and going scot free could not be done by a non-muslim president in the south without giving rise to change of governance.
Memory is always shock. What is evil should never be tolerated by any stretch of sane imagination.
For the sake of justice, equity amity and unity of Nigerians as a non secretarian and secular state, let us rationalize the Christmas and New year message of the cerebral, forthright, intrepid and erudite scholar, Rev Dr. Matthew Hassan Kukah from Sokoto Diocese. The message should not be misconstrued as giving a soft and safe landing to the conservative and notorious People’s Democratic Party to continue the reign of brigandage.
All hand must be on deck to re-invigorate and rejig All Progressives Congress with better hands as we are looking forward to 2023 presidential election.
We cannot afford to throw away the baby with bath water. It could be suicidal. We come to a new year 2021, hopeful and prosperous with bright prospect.