Deji Elumoye in Abuja
The Presidency on Sunday night faulted the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto, Father Matthew Kukah’s criticism of President Muhammadu Buhari over the security situation in the country.
In a statement by the Media Assistant to the President, Garba Shehu on Sunday, the Presidency emphasised that Kukah’s vituperation during this Easter festive period was very ungodly.
The release stated that Kukah was playing politics with the homily he delivered during the Easter Sunday service stressing that the President should not be dragged into his politics.
Garba traced the security challenges facing the nation to the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo saying there was no basis to blame the Buhari administration which is less than six years in office.
The Presidency’s release, stated:
“All citizens have their individual ideologies, even their own versions of truth. But if you profess to being a man of God, as Father Mathew Hassan Kukah does, ideology should not stand in the way of facts and fairness. Father Kukah has said some things that are inexplicable in his Easter massage.
“But, in saying that the Boko Haram terrorism is worse than it was in 2015, he did not speak like a man of God. Kukah should go to Borno or Adamawa to ask the citizens there the difference between 2014 and 2021. Furthermore, the Hijab issue in Kwara State on which he dwelt is a state matter which the courts of the land have adjudicated.
They are matters that have appeared in several states as far back as the Obasanjo administration. In all of that, when and where did the name of President Buhari feature? He is playing partisan politics by dragging the President into it.
“An administration that has created a whole Ministry, for the first time in the country’s history, appropriating enormous resources to it, to deal with issues of internally displaced persons cannot, in all rightfulness be accused of not caring for them.
Some of the comments are no more than a sample of the unrestrained rhetoric Fr. Kukah trades in, which he often does in the guise of a homily.
“We urge well-meaning citizens to continue to support the ongoing efforts by the administration to secure the country and move it forward”.
