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SOKOTO, NIGERIA – Addressing the urgent need for national revitalization, the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Kukah, has called upon the Federal Government to embark on swift and decisive actions to guide the country towards healing.In his Easter message to the nation on Sunday, March 31, 2024, Bishop Kukah emphasized the imperative for the Nigerian government to institute a comprehensive and transparent approach to recruitment.
He stressed that such measures are crucial in fostering patriotism and dismantling the entrenched systems of feudalism and prebendalism.
“Nigeria government must design a more comprehensive and wide-ranging method of recruitment that is transparent as a means of generating patriotism and reversing the ugly face of feudalism and prebendalism.”
He noted that Nigerian leaders have stumbled and fumbled while searching for the way home, saying, “There is a need for a clear communications strategy that will serve to inspire and create timelines of expectations of results from policies.
“There is a need for clarity over questions of the who, what, when, and how national set goals are to be attained and who can be held accountable.
Observing the stumbling blocks encountered by Nigerian leaders in their quest for progress, Bishop Kukah highlighted the necessity for a clear and effective communication strategy.
He emphasized the importance of establishing clear timelines and accountability mechanisms for achieving national objectives.
The cleric criticized the prevalent rhetoric of merely reorganizing the security apparatus, describing it as a tired cliché with little substantive impact.
He raised concerns about the pervasive presence of the military in civilian life, questioning its compatibility with the principles of democracy and its effectiveness in ensuring security.
“Second, the notion of rejigging the security architecture is a hackneyed cliché that is now at best, an oxymoron. It is difficult to fathom our current situation regarding the ubiquity of the military in our national life. It is impossible to explain how we can say we are in a civilian democracy with the military literally looking like an Army of occupation with an octopussean spread across all 36 states and Abuja.
“This has very serious consequences both for its professionalism, its integrity and perceived role in protecting society. No other person than the immediate past Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor, who recently referred to the military as facing the dilemma of what he called ‘see finish.’ It is now difficult to say whether the persistence of insecurity is a cause or a consequence of military ubiquity.
”Trillions of naira continues to go into bottomless pits with little measurable benefits. Our military’s professionalism cannot be diluted by the recruitment of hunters, vigilante groups, and other unprofessional and untrained groups.”
Reflecting on decades of national challenges, Bishop Kukah lamented the consequences of prioritizing short-term gains over long-term development.
He likened the state of the nation to that of a person suffering from a debilitating hangover after indulging in reckless behaviour.
The cleric said for over 60 years, our leaders have been struggling to put the nation in proper shape.
“Our leaders chose the feast rather than the fast. We are today reaping what we sowed yesterday. For over 60 years, our leaders have looked like men in a drunken stupor, staggering, stumbling and fumbling, slurring in speech, with blurred visions searching for the way home.
“The corruption of the years of a life of immoral and sordid debauchery has spread like cancer destroying all our vital organs. The result is a state of a hangover that has left our nation comatose.
“Notwithstanding, Easter is a time to further reflect on the road not taken. It is a time to see if this Golgotha of pain can lead us to the new dawn of the resurrection. Nigeria can and Nigeria will be great again. Let us ride this tide together in hope”, he posited.
Amidst the challenges, Bishop Kukah however expressed hope in the potential for renewal and growth.
He called upon Nigerians to use the occasion of Easter to reflect on past missteps and embrace the possibility of a brighter future. He was optimistic that Nigeria, with concerted effort and determination, can overcome its current challenges and regain its greatness.
Observers however see Bishop Kukah’s message as a rallying cry for national unity and collective action towards a brighter tomorrow.
