‘Killing Christians only offence not punished’ – Bishop Kukah
The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, on Wednesday, explained to newsmen why he was with President Bola Tinubu in Abuja.
Meanwhile, he declared that Nigerians were in pains owing to the various policies introduced by President Tinubu.
However, Bishop Kukah expressed the hope that with time such policies would be amended to serve the people’s welfare.
He spoke to state house correspondents after a closed-door meeting with President Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Villa mission
On his mission at the state house, Kukah said: “I came to see President Tinubu with the Director of the Kukah Centre.
“We came to discuss with the President an invitation to have a conference we had earlier extended, which we renewed.
“We would like him to be in attendance. It is addressing the theme of national cohesion. So, that’s really what we came to discuss.”
Assesses Tinubu’s administration
Asked to assess Tinubu’s administration as it prepares to celebrate the first anniversary, Kukah said: “I’m sure many people will tell you that one year is not enough to make a judgment.
“However, from where we all stand, we know that we are all in a very difficult situation.
“Nigerians are in various levels of pains, and they are pains that are unintended. But they are the results of certain policy decisions that, hopefully, with time, can be amended in order to serve the welfare of the people.
“Because I believe that the essence of government is to guarantee the welfare and security of ordinary citizens.
“I believe that the times that we are in now are very difficult and nobody should be under any illusion. But they are also times for renewal.
“We just need to commit ourselves to the fact that building a good society takes a lot of time. It’s not something that is done in one lifetime.
“And for me, the most important thing is to continue on the building blocks of the things that we think are being done well.
“My argument has always been that the government needs to, very quickly, improve the quality of communication so that Nigerians can at least get a sense of how long is it going to be before food is ready.”
… on Rivers’ crisis
Fielding questions on the political crisis in Rivers state, the cleric who was reluctant to comment on it, said: “We ordinary people cry more than the bereaved.
“The important thing is politicians will fix their problems.
“Rivers State is a place that is very dear to me, because I have been associated with them for a very long period of time.
“But look, when politicians fight, don’t get carried away because they have their capacity to fix their quarrel.
“And I hope and pray that Rivers State will sooner rather than later reposition because it is not an insignificant part of Nigeria.”
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