In a statement by Yinka Odumakin (South-West), Chief Guy Ikoku (South East), Senator Bassey Henshaw (South-South) and Dr. Isuwa Dogo (Middle Belt), the Southern Nigeria and Middle Belt Forum (SMBLF), on Monday condemned the outbursts of the Presidency, the Northern Elders Forum and Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), over the Christmas Day message of the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Hassan Kukah.
According to the statement, ”The leadership of the Southern Nigeria and Middle Belt Forum, notes with very serious concern and condemnation the outbursts of the Presidency and the Northern Elders Forum over the Christmas Day Message of the revered Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Mathew Hassan Kukah.
”The outspoken cleric who has been a beacon of truthfulness over the years, remains a foremost defender of the aspirations of millions of Nigerians across ethnic and religious lines. On this occasion, his comments have been applauded by majority of Nigerians and we all stand with him.
”We want to remind the Federal Government and its attack dogs that in the past, they had equally welcomed the forthright views of this Man of God even it favoured them. So why attack him now when he cautions them on their divisive policies? Today, the country has become terribly divided along all kinds of lines. It is shameful and indefensible that suddenly, the Federal Government is dominated by one small ethnic group and they expect all to keep quiet like slaves. Also the wind of insecurity is now almost tsunami and even up to Mr. President’s doorstep in Katsina when he was home recently on holiday.
”What we expected was for those concerned to retrace their very unhelpful steps and get back to rekindling oneness in the country. We once more can call on the Federal Government to take urgent steps to restructure the country. Finally, we remind those concerned that the voice of truth and reason, can never be suppressed successfully. Bishop Kukah remains a national icon, a hero of the masses. We therefore demand immediate apology to him for the baseless attacks.”
CAN warns FG, MURIC
Christian Association of Nigeria in the 19 northern states and Abuja on Monday warned the Presidency and the Muslim Rights Concern against twisting the homily delivered by the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Mathew Kukah on Christmas day.
“CAN in 19 northern states and Abuja has read with great shock attempts to further divide the nation by the Presidency, the leadership of MURIC and other individuals and groups aimed at twisting the crux of the homily Bishop Kukah gave at Christmas.
“Sadly, MURIC aims to incite citizens against one another along the lines of faith instead of denouncing the insecurity witnessed across the country, which is the point in Bishop Kukah’s message,”
Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria supports Kukah
Director of Social Communication, Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, (CSN), Rev. Fr. Mike Umoh, expressed concern over the incessant attacks on the cleric by those alleging that he (Kukah) sought to instigate violence and hinder national integration with his message.
He said that, with the prolonged security and economic challenges facing the country, the Catholic Church in Nigeria stood by Kukah’s position on the state of the nation.
Umoh said, “As expected, the agents of evil have gathered to attack the person of the Bishop and to discredit the simple obvious truth of the message. This is the stock in trade of evil people.
“However, they often succeed when good people, Christians, choose to do nothing. We are therefore calling attention to this new development so that we can all rise in unison and stand for truth.
“The truth about our nation is also that there are only two parties now existing: the good and the evil, the oppressed and the oppressor, the suffering people and the benefiting government officers and their families.”