Following the anti-corruption fight, President Muhammadu Buhari government is currently involved in, a Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese Mathew Hassan-Kukah, has told the President what is more imperative for him to prioritize instead of the ongoing fight against corruption.
The cleric during an interview with BBC Hausa monitored at the weekend, said the fight against corruption is not what the country currently need. He said there are other governance issues and challenges that are supposed to be focused on by the present government.
Bishop Hassan-Kukah, who had earlier in August lashed at the current administration’s anti-corruption war against treasury looters, noted that there were other serious issues of governance that need attention instead of engaging precious time in the fight against corruption.
His assertion, however, irked some Nigerians who criticized him and accused him of defending friends, while some opined that he is not comfortable with the corruption probe.
Speaking in this recent interview, the cleric explained his stance by saying; “there is no end in sight in the probe of corrupt officers, since corruption does not only stop at stealing, but also comprise other day-to-day activities of individuals.”
The bishop, who said though he was misinterpreted Nigerians, clarified his point by noting that firstly; the Federal Government need to stabilise the country rather than embarking on the long journey of investigating alleged corrupt people.
“What I said was that, I didn’t say that corrupt officials shouldn’t be probed, but I said, we should put it in mind that the nation was yet to be on track and now look at what is happening in the Igbo area, when we do not finish with OPC, militants and others.
“I said this journey is a long one and I said we have to remember that we are no longer in military era, this is democracy, where there are rules, lawyers and other things.
“If you listen to what the president is dishing out it like he pleading with lawyers for is help. Because when you discover someone who stole $1 billion, he can hire a lawyer that Nigeria cannot hire. But people reacted to what I said and this is the beauty of democracy. Everybody has freedom of speech,” Kukah said.
The bishop noted that inadequate basic amenities in a country is enough to cause other social vices, insisting that it is very important to prioritise the provision of basic services instead of investing much time in investigation.
“You know Buhari, people are talking about body language. Everybody has understood where we are heading, but the time we reach remains unknown. We have to all understand the present situation; corruption is not just stealing money.
“I am not saying we shouldn’t wage this war, but you can’t be silent of the whereabouts of your troops in a war. But people went and said we don’t want the fight against corruption because we are accomplice,” the cleric said.
Speaking on insurgency in the country, Kukah blamed the actions and unfulfilled promises of northern politicians for the cause of Boko Haram, which he claimed gave safe haven for the terrorists group.
just recently, Kukah insisted that pro-Biafra activists are entitled to the freedom of expression and gave advise to the Nigerian government in this regard.
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