Bishop Kukah
By TOM CHIAHEMEN, Abuja –
Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, has warned that Nigerian cannot win the current war against insecurity without the government addressing the issues of unemployment and violent religious extremism in the country.
Bishop Kukah, who made the assertion in his annual Christmas Message, noted that unemployment and religious extremism, create the conditions for violence.
According to him, “religious extremism can only be resolved if the government employs the forces of the law and prosecutes the perpetrators as criminals and murderers.”
He lamented that after 50 years, Nigeria was unable to climb out of the darkness to which it had been sunk, Bishop Kukah believed that Nigeria’s lack of visible and measurable progress was tied to the fact that “we have chosen darkness rather than light.”
He said: “Imagine if we let the light shine on our public service, on our politics, on our individual, community and national life, on our public institutions; imagine what Nigeria would be like if we chose light instead of darkness.”
According to him, “our journey to greatness is still severely constrained by the forces of ethnicity, nepotism and greet. There is still the lingering anxiety that ethnicity and religion trump common citizens in terms of access to opportunities.
Continuing, he said: “Feelings of exclusion drive citizens to the fringes of violence and frustration. We are still unable to come to terms with the ideals of our National Anthem that says: though tribe and tongue may differ, in brotherhood we stand.”
Describing diversity as a gift of God, Bishop Kukah on all Nigerians to use it (diversity) effectively as a tool for national mobilization and cohesion.
While expressing concern about the high cost of running for public office in the country, Kukah recalled that in 2018, the passage of Not Too Young to Run Bill was widely greeted by young people who believed that the doors had now opened for their active engagement in politics.
“After a few elections, many young people have been elected at various levels. This is commendable. However, the costs of running for public office still remain major obstacles for youth participation in politics,” he noted.
He also described the enactment of the Student Loan Act, 2024 and the setting up of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) by the Federal Government as very commendable gestures towards the youth.
“It is significant that the Act does not limit access only to university students but to those also seeking vocational or technical skills. It is hoped that this project will be free of the usual bureaucratic bottlenecks and favoritism so as to expand the scope of opportunities for our youth and their parents.
According to Kukah, the tragedies that occurred in Okija, Ibadan and Abuja where innocent people lost their lives in stampedes at food distribution points were metaphors for the situation of desperation that citizens had been thrown into.
“The failure of government to respond concretely towards ending the horrible crisis of hunger and desperation has created the conditions for these avoidable tragedies. Citizens are lapsing into despair,” he said.
