By Ahmad Deedat Zakari
The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, said there was no rift between Muslims and Christians in the country.
Bishop Kukah said this while responding to questions on TVC News Breakfast Show on Monday, September 5, 2022. He said Nigeria’s problem is irresponsible leaders who weaponize religion as a tool of exploitation and oppression.
“There is no problem between Christians and Muslims. There is a problem with irresponsible leaders who don’t want to govern properly, irresponsible religious leaders who have now seen religion as a tool of oppression, instead of a tool for liberation.
“This has been the thrust of my argument because these are two areas of study. With all sense of modesty, I have spent a good part of my life studying theology and studying religion and society,” Bishop Kukah stated
Bishop Kukah, while commenting on the role of religion and ethnicity on Nigeria’s politics, also said the leaders have failed at building governance that prioritize the affairs of the citizens.
He explained, “If you are watching a football match or any game at all, that’s why there are referees. If the referee does not do what needs to be done and allows supporters to jump onto the field, you can see for yourself that referees are punishing coaches who overreach themselves by stepping even if it is just one inch, into the field. They are punished; sometimes they are taken off the pitch.
“Now, this is really what a state is supposed to be because, without the state, it will be all of us against each other. And that is why the state is called a leviathan. You put so much power so that the state can protect us. The Nigerian state has proved itself to be incompetent, grossly malfunctioning, unwilling to commit to the welfare of citizens as the principal basis of governance.”
