Hear Kukah in a letter, dated January 12, 1998, and addressed to yours sincerely: “You write well … As I have told you, do not relent in your effort and do not look at your background as an impediment. As you know … our backgrounds are far from being obstacles to success.” Between October 2, 1998 and April 30, 2003, I worked at the CSN as a lay staff. I remember the likes of Rev. Frs. George Ehusani, Emmanuel Badejo (now Bishop of Oyo Diocese, who was then my line boss), Uba John Ofei (of blessed memory), Stan Chu Illo, and, of course, Rev. Srs. Regina Oke and Josephine Titiloye who accepted me as one of their own. Till date, these wonderful people still see and take me as their spiritual son. Lest I forget, it was through the then Fr. Kukah-led Catholic Secretariat Forum that I met upstanding men in the society like Pat Utomi, Emmanuel Ijewere and the late Rear Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu. So, I remain eternally grateful!

Bishop Kukah has done his bit! He has sufficiently paid his dues and the Nigerian society remains grateful!

For those who want to know, Kukah knows his onions, because he has devoted himself to his calling. This Catholic prelate did not just wake up to become who he is today. No! It has taken time, determination and discipline. Unfortunately though, the opportunity that he had during his time is no longer available, thank God he used that opportunity to the best of his ability. Without being immodest, there are also men of God who are equally lettered; but because they failed to faithfully apply themselves to their callings, they have sadly ended up as god of men. Also, not only does this priest understand theology, he also understands the depth of the principle and the fundamentals of the State. He is also one leader who doesn’t talk recklessly. So, he can navigate in the rough waters of the State and Religion.

A man of humour and colour, Kukah is not just a scholar but also one energetic and conscious crusader who has a deeper understanding of how an egalitarian society should look like. He is conscious of his social status in society. Is it any wonder then that he has survived many odds? Indeed, it is this lack of consciousness among other priests in his class that has continued to contribute negatively to the development and sustenance of the country. The more reason the wrong class of people has continued to show up like an endless circle at its leadership recruitment centre.

The shrewd churchman is also a consistent advocate for social justice who has become a thorn in the flesh of power. Kukah speaks truth to power and the establishment begins to look for ways to discredit him. Yes, the cleric may sound controversial as some people are wont to make Nigerians believe, the fact remains that, once his traducers abandon the object for shadow-chasing, deflection sets in. Why? The more you allow any issue raised to have a life of its own, the more it becomes difficult to resolve. Give it to Kukah, his timely interventions have always helped to deflate that kind of concentration on areas of conflict. Whenever he talks, even those who had preferred the ‘sidon look’ philosophy as an option would soon find ways of opening up while those who, hitherto, had been interested in raising unnecessary dust would simmer and calm. These are parts of his special attributes which no one can fault!

Another prominent feature of the balanced scholar is his allusion to rich references. Since the Bishop is well-read, it has become easier for him to interrogate even men of the 13th and 14th centuries – those who are long gone to the great beyond. On a number of occasions, he has disagreed with them and has pointed out positions that have remained difficult to ignore.

READ ALSO: Kukah at 70: Tinubu celebrates his devotion to public good

‘Ai f’agba f’enikan ko je k’aye o gun!’ (To look down on the king, leaders and elders is tantamount to contempt for the gods). Without doubt, there are one million and one people who equally clocked 70 years on the same day with Kukah. But then, it is not all the 70-year-olds who can match Kukah, both in intellect and the application of that God-given gift, because he has applied himself. This has become obvious in the way he has been handling topical issues.

Kukah has roused the powers-that-be to a series of issues. Talk of RUGA or the unending-but-avoidable senseless killings across Nigeria! Mention the contentious same faith presidential ticket recently adopted by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC); even Deborah Samuel who was senselessly stoned to death in Sokoto by some yet-to-be-identified religious bigots: this priest of many parts has raised thought-provoking issues that have gone a long way in injecting sanity into this terribly fractured microcosm. Obviously, those are the stuffs those in the elite class, whose interest is primarily to sustain their interest, must know; that, for that interest to be sustained, it is in the objective interest of the society to keep existing, because, should the society cease to exist, there won’t be the interest of any class.

May the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, grant Bishop Kukah more years in his service to God and humanity!

Bishop Kukah has done his bit! He has sufficiently paid his dues and the Nigerian society remains grateful! But then, this fated clime needs to do more! Instead of discouraging the man of God, this society owes it a duty to rally round him. Essentially, those in his social status should join him because, should he decide to keep quiet, the paralysis of the society beckons! Should his brand get extinguished, then, the country is doomed because nobody will be able to stand on behalf of the masses and the general society again. There and then, the society will simply collapse and there may be no remedy! The reason is simple: the spoilers have seized power at the very top echelon of Nigeria’s geopolitical, even socioeconomic space at strategic positions.

Talk of the French renaissance and one would find out that the cultural and artistic movement between 15th and early 17th centuries was largely successful because it allowed the seeking of knowledge as status symbol. Sad that, in today’s Nigeria, people don’t read again! The students who are supposed to be reading with a view to proffering solutions to the country’s hydra-headed problems in the future are already fed up. To them, reading has become a burden. Their focus is on its reward; as such they have put the cart before the horse. Unfortunately, the custodians of values in the society have also abandoned their roles because they, too, are not being rewarded for their efforts.

May the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, grant Bishop Kukah more years in his service to God and humanity!

*Komolafe writes in from Ijebu-Jesa, Osun State, Nigeria (ijebujesa@yahoo.co.uk)

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Addressing the congregation at Catholic Church in Sokoto, Kukah used the occasion to thank his parents and the Catholic family for giving him the opportunity to be what he is.

He noted that he would not have been a priest without the support of his parents and the church, while admonishing the congregation to constantly remember that everything in their lives was God’s gift.

“My happiness is not about how far I have been as a priest in the vineyard of the Lord, but how I remain committed to preaching the gospel with fidelity and constancy.

“I pray that those coming behind us do greater things than we are doing, to keep preaching the gospel with fidelity and constancy, not minding whose ox is gored,” he said.

The bishop further urged Nigerians to continue to be proud of the country at all times, saying “God does not make mistake for making us a nation of diverse culture, religion and ethnicity.

“I talk about Nigeria with pride because before our very eyes, God will do a great thing that we will all rejoice with,” he added.

Kukah also expressed happiness that aside preaching the gospel, he had, in the last 20 years, positively impacted numerous lives through his scholarship programme to students across the federation.

“Today I am very happy that sometimes, people stop me and say thank you Bishop Kukah for making a huge impact in our lives. I also schooled courtesy of your scholarship.

“As such, my next plan is how to take 50,000 families out of poverty through an empowerment programme that is coming soon, by the grace of God,” the cleric said.

Source: NAN

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The remark is in obvious reaction to the aspersion cast on the Buhari administration by Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Rev. Matthew Kukah,  in his 2020 Christmas Message.

Kukah had alleged that President Muhammadu Buhari was presiding over a country with prospects of a failed state

In a statement issued on Saturday in Lagos, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, warned religious leaders that resorting to scorched-earth rhetoric as that could trigger unintended consequences.

The statement was made available to newsmen by Mr Segun Adeyemi, Special Assistant to the President (Media), Office of the Minister of Information and Culture.

The minister said that while religious leaders have a responsibility to speak truth to power, such truth must not come wrapped in anger, hatred, disunity and religious disharmony.

“Calling for a violent overthrow of a democratically-elected government, no matter how disguised such a call is, and casting a particular religion as violent is not what any religious leader should engage in, and certainly not in a season of peace,” he said.

Mohammed stressed that instigating regime change outside the ballot box is not only unconstitutional but also an open call to anarchy.

He said while some religious leaders, being human, might not be able to disguise their national leadership preference, they should refrain from graceless by stigmatising the leader they had never supported using well-worn and disproved allegations of nepotism.

The minister said whatever challenges Nigeria might be going through at the moment could only be tackled when all leaders and indeed all Nigerians came together.

He said such challenges could not be tackled “when some people arrogantly engage in name-calling and finger-pointing.”

The Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Rev. Matthew Kukah,  in his 2020 Christmas Message, had alleged that President Muhammadu Buhari was presiding over a country with prospects of a failed state.

The cleric contended that “there is no way any non-Northern Muslim president could have done a fraction of what President Buhari has done by his nepotism and gotten away with it.”

He added: “There would have been a military coup a long time ago or we would have been at war,” Kukah said.

Source: NAN

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Kukah was said to have declared that while Boko Haram was employing the use of bomb to force Islam on Nigerians, the Federal Government was using other methods.

The use of bomb, he was said to have declared, was the only difference between the Boko Haram and the Federal Government.

But in a swift reaction, the Federal Government said Kukah was not only disingenuous in his statement but also doing a great disservice to the military battling Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists to keep all Nigerians safe.

The Federal Government said instead, Kukah should use his high office to work for religious harmony in Nigeria, and not indulge in actions capable of dividing the country along religious lines.

In a statement he issued on Friday, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, reiterated the federal government’s position that Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists did not subscribe to any religion, irrespective of their pretense to such, but are driven by their primitive propensity to kill mindlessly and destroy without restraint, irrespective of their victims’ creed, gender or tribe.

”To now attribute the actions of these mad bunch to an orchestrated and systematic plan to elevate one religion over the other or decimate adherents of a particular religion is not only unfortunate but divisive, incendiary and insensitive,” he said.

Alhaji Mohammed appealed to religious leaders to be more circumspect in their comments, especially on religious issues, because of the deeply emotive nature of religion and the tendency for it to be exploited for political gains by naysayers.

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The denial was made by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, on Friday while addressing the third annual conference of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers, GOCOP, held in Lagos.

He described the claim which was made by the Bishop of Sokoto Catholic Diocese, Mathew Kukah, who was the  Guest Speaker at the occasion as not based on any empirical finding.

Kukah who spoke on the theme, ‘Economy, Security And National Development: The Way Forward’ said the amount of hatred expressed to leaders had continued to grow with each new one.

According to Kukah, Nigerians hated Yar’Adua more than they did Obasanjo; Yar’Adua more than Jonthan and so on.

But reacting to the claim, Adesina said that if Kukah’s claim was true, however, then something must be  wrong.

He said it was necessary for the citizens to continue to support the leaders and be prayerful in order to make the country great.

The president’s aide said so much was being done by the government to improve the general situation in the country, pointing out that the support of the citizens was required.

Meanwhile, Adesina has praised members of GOCOP for proving their worth as core professionals.

Describing them as thoroughbred journalists, he said they had done well to bring sanity to the online space.

His words:  “Remember, I have always attended all your events because I believe in you and what you are also doing online as professional journalists.

“In fact, I helped in setting up GOCOP.

“I am very happy because GOCOP has kept its standards since inception.

“GOCOP has done great and has also helped to bring sanity to the online space.

“Truth is that GOCOP has done better than some traditional media houses, who now rush to publish just anything.”

ooooo

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One of the conditions, he said, was to avoid nepotism.

Kukah made the declaration on Friday during the funeral Mass the father of Chief Michael Onyema, at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, Mbosi, Ihiala Local Government Area, Anambra State.

The late Michael Onyema is the father of the chairman of  Air Peace Airlines, Barr. Allen Onyema.

Describing the situation in the country as very difficult, Kukah said with commitment, the situation would be improved: “I am supremely optimistic about this country, because nations are not built by human beings; they are built by God.

“As we continue in this turbulent country, we must know that God is in charge of the affairs of Nigeria and we should avoid the celebration of nepotism.”

Speaking at the occasion, the Air Peace Airline boss commended Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, for the upgrade of Asaba Airport, saying he had taken it to international standard.

According to him, Asaba Airport had been transformed and could now land a Boeing 777 aircraft.

Onyema, therefore, called on Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to “quickly give approval for triple 7 to land in Asaba Airport and see what Air Peace will do.”

He also said that the management of Air Peace was considering making Asaba Airport its operational base in view of its new standard.

“The governor, Distinguished Senator Okowa has done very well in Asaba airport and I will talk with my management to domicile Air Peace in Asaba,” Onyema said.

He also used the occasion to call on Nigerians to show love to one another, observing that criminals could hide under any guise to commit crime.

Gov. Willie Obiano of Anambra; his Edo State counterpart, Mr Godwin Obaseki; former Governor, Peter Obi of Anambra State, top operators in the airline industry, among others, attended the funeral.

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With the initiative, Rev. Kukah plans to train 10 million almajiri children in Northern Nigeria.

In a press statement issued on Wednesday by its Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, MURIC claimed that Kukah’s idea raised more questions than answers.

The group described Kukah’s proposal as “a ploy for proselytisation, modern colonialism and a potential time bomb.”

MURIC said while it agreed that something must be done about the almajiri children, ideas to improve their situation had to be implemented by muslims in the affected region.

It said it would be wrong to entrust Muslim children to the hands of Christian gospellers.

“As far as we are concerned, Kukah’s almajiri dream is a Trojan horse,” the group said.

It added:  “These children have teachers even if the system is unconventional. The parents entrusted them to the teachers and learning still takes place somehow. The devil we know is still better than the one we do not know and we expect Rev. Kukah to know better. Can any Christian community allow an Islamic organisation to take their children away just like that? What is the fate of the children taken from Chibok to an Edo IDP centre in 2014?

“Whatever the situation may be, we wish to caution Northern Muslims, particularly the elders, never to allow it to happen. Instead of allowing Christian missionaries to seize this kind of initiative, Northern Muslims should empower available Muslim NGOs to cater for almajiri children.

“We know from experience that whatever happens will be a point of reference in the near future. Who will bear the shame at that time? We therefore advise state governments in the region to rearrange their priorities and concentrate on the education and welfare of almajiri children.”

The group explained that almajiri is essentially a system practised by northern Muslims.

“It is not part of Christendom from North to South. Is Rev. Kukah telling us that he prefers to alleviate poverty among Muslims to doing same among Christians? Is he telling us that he loves to assist Muslims more than he loves to help Christians? Can Rev. Kukah give any guarantee that those children will remain the same at the end of his intervention? It is modern colonialism.

“When did the reverend father suddenly develop so much love for Muslims that he has now decided to give them preference above his Christian folks? Are there no poverty stricken children in the Christian majority Middle Belt particularly in Benue and Plateau? Why can’t he take his project there? This type of project demands trust. No NGO can successfully train children or adults in an atmosphere of mutual distrust,” MURIC said.

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The festival is for the people of Akure in Ondo State and it holds at the Francis Ibiomiye Hall of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) on October 5, 2018.

Billed to deliver the lecture is the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Reverend Matthew Hassan Kukah.

The information was given by the Head of Department of Botany, University of Ibadan, Professor Abiodun Ayodele.

Ayodele is the chairman of the lecture committee of the festival.

Ayodele, explaining the rationale for re-christening the Festival, Ulefunta, said that though Akure Kingdom, before now, celebrated a yearly festival it called Oyemekun, the Deji of Akure, Oba Aladelusi Oguntoyinbo, Odundun II and his council of chiefs, this year, decided to take the festival a notch higher to celebrate some portions of Akure’s cultural past worthy of being brought into modern remembrance.

“One of these is the traditional period of leave of the Akure king called Ulefunta. The Deji decided to celebrate it and impart its lessons on the modern world. Thus, this year’s celebration is tagged Oyemekun/Ulefunta 2018 Festival and one of its highlights is a public lecture,” he said.

Secretary to the Government of the Federation, (SGF) Chief Olu Falae, is expected to chair the lecture while renowned literary icon and actor, Professor Kole Omotoso will be the moderator.

Vice Chancellor of FUTA, Professor Joseph Adeola Fuwape, will be the Chief Host while members of the academia, the Deji of Akure, as well as other monarchs and chiefs, and the Catholic Bishop of Ondo Diocese, Jude Arogundade, are expected at the event.

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