”Rise In Unison, Stand For Truth” – Catholic Church Backs Bishop Kukah’s Position On State Of The Nation
Leadership of Catholic Church in Nigeria has expressed support for the position of Bishop of the Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Hassan Kukah, on the state of the nation.
Kukah had in the Christmas message titled, ‘A nation in search of vindication’, accused the President Muhammadu Buhari of nepotism.
He noted that Buhari was deliberately sacrificing the dreams of Nigerians to institutionalise northern hegemony.
The cleric’s statement attracted sharp criticisms and condemnations from the Presidency, Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) and Arewa Youths Consultative Forum (AYCF).
However, in a statement in Kaduna State on Monday titled, ‘Twisting Bishop Kukah’s Christmas message; injurious to nation-building’, the Northern CAN defended the cleric, noting that the message reflected the current reality across the country.
The statement authored by the Vice Chairman, Northern CAN, Rev. John Hayab, said the association was shocked at an attempt by the Presidency and MURIC to twist Kukah’s message and warned against such.
Hayab described as baseless and worrisome the claim by the President of MURIC, Prof. Ishaq Akintola, that Bishop Kukah had referred to Islam “as a violent religion” and “called for a coup”.
The Northern CAN said there was no expression that suggested that Bishop Kukah’s message was an affront to Islam or a call for a coup.
The Christian body argued that such claim was not only laughable but misleading and a tissue of lies.
Similarly, the Director of Social Communication, Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, in CSN, Rev. Fr. Mike Umoh, expressed concern over the incessant attacks on the cleric by those alleging that Kukah sought to instigate violence and hinder national integration with his message.
He, however, said that with the prolonged security and economic challenges facing the country, the Catholic Church in Nigeria stood by Kukah’s position on the state of the nation.
He urged lovers of truth and justice to rise in defence of Bishop Kukah against the attack on his person and the attempt to discredit the simple obvious truth in his message.
The Catholic Church said the situation in Nigeria no longer allows anyone to sit on the fence or show indifference.
He stated;
We are quite aware of the 2020 Christmas Message by our revered Bishop Hassan Kukah and the enormous space it has enjoyed on social media and in public sphere. As expected, the agents of evil have gathered to attack the person of the Bishop and to discredit the simple obvious truth of the message. This is the stock in trade of evil people. However, they often succeed when good people, Christians, choose to do nothing.
I am therefore calling our attention to this new development so that we can all rise in unison and stand for truth.
The Catholic Church said that everyone must choose and stand up for what he or she believed in, adding;
The truth about our nation is also that there are only two parties now existing: the good and the evil, the oppressed and the oppressor, the suffering people and the benefiting government officers and their families. Please stop allowing anyone fool you with these cards: religion and tribe.
