Stella Dimoko Korkus.com: Nigerian Govt Responds To Claims Made By Bishop Kukah Before The United States Congress.

Advertisement

Advertisement - Mobile In-Article

Monday, July 19, 2021

Nigerian Govt Responds To Claims Made By Bishop Kukah Before The United States Congress.

''....It is unfortunate, and disappointing, for citizens of Nigeria to bear witness to one of their Churchmen castigating their country in front of representatives of a foreign parliament...''.










RESPONSE BY THE PRESIDENCY TO THE STATEMENT MADE BY BISHOP KUKAH BEFORE THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS


It is unfortunate, and disappointing, for citizens of Nigeria to bear witness to one of their Churchmen castigating their country in front of representatives of a foreign parliament.

We are all too familiar with these overseas political tours that opposition politicians take - visiting foreign leaders and legislators in the United States, United Kingdom and Europe. So, the argument goes, if they are heard seriously abroad, then Nigerian citizens back home should surely listen to them too.


But in order to be heard at all, and to maximise media coverage back home for their activities, inevitably these visits involve painting the worst possible picture of our country before their chosen foreign audience.


Soon enough we inescapably hear an identical list of racist tropes against northerners, how one religion dominates governance above all others, how the government is doing nothing to address herder-farmer disturbances, and how the government spends money on infrastructure to benefit everyone but the group and religion of the speaker. Of course, in order not to disappoint their western audience, regardless of fact, the list is always the same-and always slanted for whoever wishes to cross-check.


Nigerians expect this from their unimaginative opposition - but it is troubling when a so-called man of the Church copies the worst excesses of those seeking personal advancement in public office.

Only this government has put forward the first and singular plan in nearly a century to address herder-farmer challenges - a fact recognised by international NGOs, including the International Crisis Group. To declare to a foreign audience that this government does nothing is an incredible falsehood.

To suggest that investment in infrastructure between Nigeria and Niger is wasteful and biased – when a similar infrastructure project between Lagos and Benin has revolutionised the two neighbouring economies to the advantage of both our countries - is quite disturbing.


There is no bias in this government when the president is northern and Muslim, the vice president southern and Christian, and the cabinet equally balanced between the two religions. But neither is there anything in our Constitution to state that political posts must be apportioned according to ethnicity or faith. It takes a warped frame of mind for a critic to believe ethnicity is of primary importance in public appointments. It is yet more troubling to hear a Churchman isolating one group for criticism purely on ethnic lines.


With due respect to the esteemed position he holds, the Bishop’s assertion that only Christian schools are being targeted by bandits or terrorists is not supported by the facts on the ground. It is sad to say but also true that victims of crime, kidnapping, banditry and terrorism cut across all strata of the society. Sad but true that Kankara students in Katsina State were stolen by bandits of the same Islamic faith as those they took away. The same may be true of those who are still holding the 134 students of the Islamic School at Tegina in Niger State.



 The nation witnessed the sad incident of the female students abducted by bandits at Jangebe in Zamfara State and the over 100 predominantly Muslim students of the Federal Government Girls College Birnin Yauri in Kebbi State who are currently in captivity- and the nation’s security agencies are hard at work to release them unharmed.


The attack on Christian students is sad and unacceptable; so also is the abduction of students of other faiths. The claim that only Christian schools are being targeted is totally untrue.

As a nation and a people, we must together define evil as evil. We must not allow our religious differences to divide us. No one gains but the evil doers when we divide our ranks according to ethnicity and religion in confronting them. The bandit, kidnapper and terrorist are the enemies of the people who should be confronted in unison.


To be clear, The Bible is definitive on matters of ethnicity and racialism: In Romans 2:9-10, it says: “There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; but glory, honour and peace for everyone who does good”; And in Galatians 3:28: “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Whether Christian or Muslim, we stand by these beliefs and are steadfastly committed to them in governance.


There is no place in mainstream civil discourse for those who actively, negatively, and publicly label an individual ethnic group, especially before a foreign audience. These are not the views expressed or opinions held by the vast majority of the citizens of Nigeria. For all our challenges as a nation, nearly all of us seek to live together in harmony, celebrating differences, and finding common ground as Nigerians above all. But people like Kukah are doing their best to sow discord and strife among Nigerians.

More than any other set of people, leaders - in politics or religion who preach respect for truth have a duty to practice it. It is a moral and practical responsibility.

Going by the history of the Church as is well known, it will stand up publicly for the truth.
It is time others did the same.


Garba Shehu
Senior Special Assistant to the President
(Media & Publicity)
July 18, 2021

25 comments:

  1. Bishop Kukah na man you be. You are truly called. May Elohim bless you always, now and forever. It will be of great justice if we can see Bishop Kukah address as well and then be the judge ourselves.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lazy youth. Why can’t you go search for his address instead of waiting for it to reach you?!!! Kukah is brave, knowledgeable and an intellectual. He doesn’t sit in his basement abroad making violent rhetoric, squandering the monies of gullible and vulnerable people but turned to be lily livered than a chicken after being caught like a monkey dragged to the zoo he despises. Kukah na man. Cownu na ant.

      Delete
  2. Bishop Kukah God bless you sir. Garbage shehu it's very obvious you have lost your conscience but may your life and that of your household be like this country under this present government

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kuku held opinions of most Nigerians. Garbage shehau should hug nearest transform

      Delete
  3. Let me drop Kukah's address here for those who haven't read it.

    The Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Matthew Kukah has expressed fear that the Nigerian government under President Muhammadu Buhari is not handling issues concerning religious crisis the right way.
    The cleric said this at a virtual presentation with the US Congress in Washington on the persecution of Christians in Nigeria by Islamic extremist groups in the Northern Region of Nigeria.
    Kukah told Congress that although the attack on Christians in Nigeria have been happening for many years now, it has risen in the last 10 years.
    He also claimed that extremists, bandits, Fulani herdsmen and Boko Haram were targeting many schools in the North especially, Christian ones and are “indoctrinating the children.
    They end up converting these children to wives, cooks, spies, sexual slaves and so on,” the Bishop said.
    The Bishop also complained to Congress that President Buhari is deliberately appointing people of his ethnic group and religion into key political positions.
    “In 2020, they killed some of our Priests in the North.
    They kidnapped our children and forced them to denounce Christianity for Islam.
    We have issued statements and called the attention of the government to our plight but you see, we have weak institutions.
    “The whole of the North is being invaded by armed bandits that are launching attacks at will.
    The President has shown nepotism in his appointments as he is appointing only people that share the same religion with him into key political offices like the security Chiefs.
    “For the first time in Nigeria, the first three persons: the President, the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representative are all Muslims.
    “This has never happened before. So, we require practical and measuring assistance that can help us and our children,” the cleric cried out

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This is not his address. Look for the full address instead of paraphrases and summaries by a news report.

      Delete
    2. Thanks for this cos I was about to Google to read.

      I'm glad he is showing the world what the government is doing covertly.

      I saw a video of the govt appointees travelling for sallah and there was a line of atleast 10 private jets. If not for Buhari, most of them could barely pay rent.

      They go after activists swiftly but bandits are ignored. Everything has an end no matter what.

      Delete
    3. But na all true nau. Kukar no lie, Bubu reign na Islamic agenda full am. Every word there is pure gospel. God bless Kukah.

      Delete
    4. Recently, House of Rep suspended the Navy list brought to them. Do you lmoe why? All candidates in that list were all northerners. So where is the lie in what Kukah said?

      Delete
  4. My first grouse is the effontery by Garba Shehu to trivialise the fulani herdsmen militia carnage as "herdsmen-farmer challenges". By 2023, we will be ready for these politicians and their spin doctors.God bless Bishop Kukah for speaking truth to power.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Garbage Shameful the okra mouth. Does he know what he’s quoting?

      Delete
  5. He didn't lie nah. God bless Bishop Kukah. They hate exposure.

    ReplyDelete
  6. This person is not bright at all. He, saying what Bishop Kukah said is slandering the government, he now went ahead to name everything that the Bishop slandered the current government with one after the other and his brain as he is naming these things didn't tell him that they were all TRUE!
    What in the name of delusional and stupidity is this?

    May God guide the Bishop so he can continue to say it as it is.
    It is because no one as been standing up to them, that's why we are here.

    Shehu talking a Churchman castigating his country in front of representatives of a foreign parliament and yo them that is shame? Upon all the crazy things this government has done to disgrace the entire Country and citizens both Home and Abroad? Smh!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. He is a known illiterate...don't bother yourself. He probably got an aide to write it for him.

      Delete
  7. I don't expect Garba to praise what Kukah said and is saying but this government should use the same energy they applied in catching MNK on every issue of insecurity,banditry and the nonsense behaviour of the herders!

    ReplyDelete
  8. But it is not unfortunate and disappointing for the president of the nation to tell the whole world that her youths are lazy??

    ReplyDelete
  9. Federal government are you not ashamed to mention those numbers of kidnapped victims? As you were giving out those numbers hope you have covered your face with that shameful basket a bv manufactured?

    As the constitution didn't state that political posts must be apportioned according to ethnicity or faith why are all the key positions being held by predominantly Muslim/northerners?
    Are they the only intellects in the country. Since you want to play that way, engage other tribes, religion etc that merits the position.

    The opposition party criticising this government are doing so because what they are talking about is a fact. Even those not in the political field know it's true.

    You can do better federal government. Stop giving the opposition party something to talk about do the needful.

    ReplyDelete
  10. God bless Father Kukah!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Mr. Shehu Garba, the opinion expressed by Father Kukah is exactly the same expressed by Southern governors, Gov Ortum, and it is the opinion we ordinary Nigerians are rxpressing.
    To suit yourself you twisted what Bishop Kukah said about people targeted by kidnappers. Bishop Kukah DID NOT say ONLY CHRISTIANS are targetted but that MOSYLY CHRISTIANS are targetted. You replaced "mostly" with "only" and built all your lies against the bishop on that.
    You said Buhari's cabinet is equally balanced but you cleverly omitted the security and judicial branches of government, to mention just a few, where northern hausa-fulani people are packed to the exclusion of the other tribes and religion that make up this corporate entity called Nigeria. Your boss came in with a lot of goodwill from different tribes and religion but you have grossly mismanaged that goodwill and scattered the fragile unity that Nigetria has.

    Your government will go down in history as the worst ever in Nigeria.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Garba Shehu did not write this falsehood.
    This the handwork of Femi Adesina! Lol

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Obviously.

      Delete
    2. My exact thoughts

      Delete
    3. Bishop kuka,may the name of the Lord be praised both now and forever.pls tell the world what our leaders have turned Nigeria into.come to plateau state and see how some certain areas people don't slip at night for fear of Fulani attack.yet our governor d chairman of northern governor's forum tours d world doing nothing for us.pls visa should be denied to our leaders.they messed this country up and want to be free to travel as they please.

      Delete
  13. Some of the people una de abuse under anon na dem de do groundwork for many of these appearances under democrats. Many NA are Democratic Party folks trying to fix Naija for the youths stuck in the rut of hopelessness by being donors & party people in the most powerful country to connect dots here for una but abuse too much. My pidgin no reach again. E go better.

    ReplyDelete

Disclaimer: Comments And Opinions On Any Part Of This Website Are Opinions Of The Blog Commenters Or Anonymous Persons And They Do Not Represent The Opinion Of StellaDimokoKorkus.com

Pictures and culled stories posted on this site are given credit and if a story is yours but credited to the wrong source,Please contact Stelladimokokorkus.com and corrections will be made..

If you have a complaint or a story,Please Contact StellaDimokoKorkus.com Via

Sdimokokorkus@gmail.com
Mobile Phone +4915210724141