kukah
Bishop Matthew Kukah

 

Acclaimed social commentator and Catholic Bishop of Sokoto, Matthew Kukah, has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to stop his frequent recourse to blaming his predecessor for Nigeria’s economic woes and focus on fixing the problems.

Instead of blaming former President Goodluck Jonathan, Kukah said Buhari should face the challenges of governance which confront him today.

Said Kukah, who spoke in Akure at a dinner marking the end of the 2016 Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria: “We didn’t vote a government to complain about yesterday, if we wanted yesterday the new government would not be there. The previous government didn’t only do bad things; he did a lot of good things.

“I think the business of government is not our business; our business is, the previous government did bad, that is why we voted a new government. It is really about taking responsibility. No matter how much you praise or abuse (former President Goodluck) Jonathan, he is no more the President of Nigeria. I think that people must understand that you take power to solve problems not to agonise.

“We are not asking you to change the whole world, but Jonathan created problems: we are now riding a train between Abuja and Kaduna now; the train wasn’t there before. Things that Jonathan did that can help Nigeria, let’s continue with them. The bad things that Jonathan did and those who deserve to go to prison should go to prison.

“I still believe that unless we get to the root cause of poverty and inequality, which are really the evidences and symptoms of corruption; you can talk of fighting corruption all the rest of your life and very little is going to happen.

“Sending people to prison will only be useful if it puts bread on the table of the people. Government has the responsibility of bringing these bigots to book. We are not comfortable with what the bigots are doing. What they are doing is most worrisome in Nigeria. The Church has a major role to play by praying for Nigeria.”