Bishop Kukah Did Not In Any Way Call For Coup – Muslim Group
BY VICTOR BUORO, ABUJA – A coalition of Nigerian Muslim professionals has condemned attacks on Bishop Matthew Kukah following his Christmas Day Message in which he castigated President Muhammadu Buhari over what he described as acts of crass nepotism.
The group warned that unless nation’s leaders sit up, the country would be heading towards a failed state.
The Nigerian Muslim Professionals specifically warned against attempts aimed at twisting the Bishop’s message to mean that he endorsed coup, stressing that contrary to those promoting such insinuations, the revered Bishop was too learned to support such ignoble path to installing leadership.
It pointedly said that Nigerians with conscience would not fall to the antics of those twisting the Bishop’s message for selfish reasons, adding that having followed Bishop Kukah’s activities and preachings since the days of the military, the group said that it is convinced that not to many Nigerians took the interest of the country at heart like Kukah.
The criticisms by Bishop Kukah which drew applause from some quarters as speaking truth to power also garnered attacks from Pesident Buhari’s friends, political associates and the All Progressives Congress (APC).
However, the coalition of Nigerian Muslim Professionals while commending Bishop Kukah for what it described as “his boldness to speak truth to power,” questioned the propriety of those attacking him over the Christmas Day message.
The group in a statement by its National Coordinator, Prof. Mohammed Inuwa, noted that while President Muhammadu Buhari might mean well for the country, however faulted some actions taken by his administration which it observed are not in any way promoting unity.
Inuwa said that it is completely wrong for some sponsored faceless group being promoted by selfish people in leadership position to silence truth to be attacking Bishop Kukah, who it noted did not in any way called for coup, saying the Bishop is too learned to go that way.
According to the statement; “We stand completely with Bishop Kukah. This government must be fair to all Nigerians irrespective of tribe and religion”.
“We strongly condemn the wrong approach taken to respond to a message by a patriotic Nigerian by these incompetent people working to derail the president’s agenda”.
The Coalition of Nigerian Muslim Professionals said the country would be a great place to live if there were up to three persons like the Catholic Bishop, saying those who were hiding from the truth were doing so for their personal interests.
The group therefore tasked President Buhari to see the Bishop’s message as a wake-up call with a view to adjusting his policies and programmes for the betterment of the Nigeria and Nigerians.
It further said; “Even during the military era where people dreaded the powers that be at the time, Bishop Kukah, who was then a Catholic priest spoke truth to those at the helm of affairs without fear or favour. He has shown through his actions all the years that he is a true son of Nigeria in particular and Africa in general.
“We should support him for being bold enough to come out to speak what many Nigerians know is the truth but afraid to speak out for fear of the leadership.
“While we must admit that President Muhammad Buhari means well for the nation, we must say that most people in his government are grossly incompetent and don’t deserve to stay around power even in an uncivilized space,” it so declared.
The group said it would not shy away from the truth even though most of the president’s actions drawing criticisms were in favour of its region.
This is as it condemned what it described as “the glaring marginalization” of the Igbo in every facet of national life, saying the development is not in any way promoting national cohesion which nationalists that laid down their lives for the country’s independence wanted.
