By Dayo Omoogun
In response to the raging criticism of Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah’s Christmas homily in which he highlighted some of the failings of the Buhari administration
and the subsequent threats against him particularly by a group known as the Muslim Solidarity Forum, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has called “on President Muhammadu Buhari and all the security agencies to ensure that no harm befall the Catholic Bishop of the Sokoto Diocese, Dr Matthew Hassan Kukah.”
“Nothing must happen to Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah”, it stressed.
The position of the body was made known via a statement signed by its General Secretary, Barrister Joseph Bade Daramola, which was released Thursday.
The Muslim Solidarity Forum had threatened that the cleric “must tender an unreserved apology to Muslims or quickly and quietly leave Sokoto.”The critics of the Bishop’s homily have been largely northern elements and Muslims including the Sultan of Sokoto.
Incidentally Bishop Kukah and the Sultan are members of the Peace Committee, a national group of eminent persons who have over the years mediated in cases of national crisis and facilitated peace building and stability.
The Association cautioned those threatening the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto, Dr Matthew Hassan Kukah to stop their unlawful actions and also asked the security agencies to ensure the safety and security of the cleric.
The body wondered why those issuing the threats have not been arrested or called to order adding that it saw nothing wrong with what the cleric said as according to it, it is the whole truth.
“We have been watching the unfolding scenario since Bishop Kukah spoke his mind on the State of the Nation in his Christmas homily and how some groups of people have been threatening him with fire and brimstone while all relevant security agencies are pretending as if nothing unusual is happening.
“We wonder if those threatening the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto are above the law or if they are sacred cows in the country.
“We have studied the whole Christmas message of Dr Kukah and we are yet to see any incitement against Islam or non- Christians. We see nothing wrong in his message to the nation that has been under the siege of terrorists, herdsmen killers, bandits and kidnappers as if there was no government in place. We see nothing wrong in telling a government whose lopsided appointments are against Christians the whole truth. If criticism against a Muslim President today, is an incitement to violence against Islam, it then means those who were criticising the duo of former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan when they were in power were actually attacking Christianity.
“When has it become an offence to speak the truth to power? When has it become a crime to criticise a government in the country? When did the lawful fundamental of human rights suspend in the country? When did some sections of the Constitution suspended without the awareness of the public?
“When did the Police and the Directorate of the State Security Services lose their power to miscreants and lawless people who are making boast of their lawlessness without a challenge? We wonder if those Muslim groups who are threatening to deal with Kukah got equal response from their Christian counterparts, are we not setting up the country on fire?
“Bishop Kukah was posted to serve in Sokoto by the Papacy and threatening him to leave is a global threat to Christianity. In this same country, we have a Catholic Priest whose name is synonymous with President Muhammadu Buhari yet the Catholic Church has not deemed it fit to sanction him because Freedom of Speech and Association is not only a constitutional matter but godly.
“We call on President Muhammadu Buhari and all the security agencies to ensure that no harm befall the Catholic Bishop of the Sokoto Diocese, Dr Matthew Hassan Kukah. As far as the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) is concerned, what he said in his Christmas Homily was still within the ambience of the law.
“It is high time those hiding under religious sentiments to promote violence and crises stopped doing so if we want this country to progress. We have had enough of bloodshed in the country and we call on the security agencies to rise up to their constitutional responsibilities. Nothing must happen to Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah.
“ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!”