Outspoken Catholic priest and Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Rev. Father Mathew Kukah, yesterday, expressed shock over uncomplimentary comments being made against former president, Muhammadu Buhari, by those who served under him.
Kukah, who spoke during an interview on Arise, said he had no personal grudge against Buhari. Rather, the only problem he had with the former president was his inability to manage the country’s diversity.
He also took a swipe at the former president’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, who unrepentantly fired back whenever the bishop lampooned the former president. Adesina once accused the bishop of being angry with Buhari for not patronising him.
Kukah expressed disappointment at President Bola Tinubu for failing to hit the ground running in his six months in office, having prepared for the race for over 20 years.
Asked if he was missing his friend, Buhari who he was always criticising, he said, “Buhari has served his term. He also knew and I respect him for that, that there was nothing I was saying that was personal.
“But having said that, I mean President Buhari has finished his term and he is gone and there is very little else to be said for and against. But everybody knew we had a job to do. There was nothing I said about President Buhari that was personal, that was disrespectful. I just felt he was doing thing that is, especially in the area of managing our diversity and look, I’m talking to ministers now who served in that government, I cannot call names, I am shocked to hear the kind of things people are saying, those who served in that government, that is for another day.”
On President Bola Tinubu, he stated while the six months in power might be too short to rate a sitting president, many expected him to hit the ground running having prepared for the race for over 20 years.
He, however, stated that the leadership selection structure “is so self-constraining”
“I am not making excuses for anybody, I am just saying the very fact that you had to rely on governors to give you names of Ministers and you rely on external agencies to be able to do things that ordinarily you who is composing the team needs to be able to do.
“I mean a court decides who is going to come in at what time depending on the excuse that the person has. So, I totally agree with you that by now you would have thought, ‘okay, this is what we want to do, this is who can do it and this is how it needs to be done.”
However, he said the best solution is to continue to hold those in power responsible and they have no excuse not to perform.
“If you stand up to be elected and you are elected, you must be prepared to face the consequences of that election, that means we must constantly hold your feet to the fire.
“So that’s why I am saying institutions and instruments of engagement must be in full glass. But also we must help to clarify public policies by articulating the things that need to be done and where the country needs to be heading.”
Credit: Daily Sun