By Olusegun Olanrewaju (Lagos) and Cross Udo, Abuja
The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Kukah, yesterday cautioned politicians against using religion to manipulate Nigerians.
Kukah stated this in Abuja during the presentation of his new book, ‘Broken Truth’, which was part of activities to mark his 70th birthday celebration slated for today.
According to the bishop, using religion to manipulate the people has a serious consequence, citing Germany as an example during the reign of Adolf Hitler.
Kukah said, “If you look at history, there is a consequence for using religion to manipulate politics. We just need to look at Germany, the consequences are there to see in Hitler.
“The problem is that the Nigerian political elite lacks the mental capacity to understand the consequences of the fire they are stoking because there is nothing to suggest that the average person who is living in the North, who is Fulani, who is a Muslim or who is Hausa, can say that they are proud of the Nigerian political system, beyond a very tiny percentage.
“So, if you decide that you want to give privilege to a religion or an ethnic group, what will happen is that others automatically become outsiders?”
Kukah also explained that agitations were ongoing in the country because the citizens were more intelligent than those steering the affairs of the country.
“The agitation that persists in Nigeria is largely borne out of the fact that those who govern us are not aware of how much mental progress ordinary people have made. Those who are being governed are more intelligent and endowed. And it will not have been a bad thing if people who don’t know seek knowledge,” the Bishop said.
He advised youths to focus on how to change the system and not on participating in elections.
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His words: “It is a terrible mistake for young people to believe that participating in politics necessarily means contesting elections and winning, not that it is not important, but that it is not where our hope should be. Our hope should be how we can gradually change the system through other means. Politics is important but in the final analysis, the benefits are not very significant,” he added.
Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday congratulated Kukah on his 70th birthday, saying he shared in the joy of the occasion.
The president’s message came in the wake of similar communication by the presidential candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar.
In a statement by the president’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, Buhari said he joined the Catholic Church, friends and associates, in celebrating with the priest on the milestone.
He noted the contributions “of the priest, teacher, scholar and writer to national discourse.”
The president also prayed that the Almighty God will grant the celebrant longer life, good health and strength.
In his own message released yesterday, Atiku, described Kukah, as a formidable advocate for good governance.
The former Nigerian vice-president said this in a statement by his media adviser, Paul Ibe, in Abuja.
Atiku celebrated Kukah at 70, saying his contributions to Nigeria’s democracy were immeasurable and unquantifiable.
Describing Kukah as a remarkable public intellectual, he said that the revered cleric was a man of God, who had never hesitated to speak out on the country’s numerous ills.
Atiku also said Kukah criticised leaders when they derailed from the responsibility of providing good governance and deepening democracy.
“Bishop Kukah is widely misunderstood because he speaks truth to power; a task that often attracts adversaries in our kind of society,” the presidential candidate added.
He said that “religious leaders are the moral compass and conscience of the people, and therefore, they have the obligation to tell leaders the truth when they are going wrong.”
According to him, “Kukah is a great asset to Nigeria and humanity because of his tireless commitment to peace, unity and peaceful coexistence in the country and the passion he attaches to these efforts is amazing.
“Not once did I ever hear Kukah preach hate or bigotry in his sermons. All his sermons are focused on issues that can make Nigeria better.
“His passion for our unity and justice for all is one of his greatest virtues.”
