The Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN) has thrown its weight behind the Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Most Rev. Matthew Hassan, over his unflattering assessment of the Muhammadu Buhari presidency.
In a Monday statement signed by the Director of CSN’s Social Communication, Fr. Mike Umoh, the Catholic Church berated those attacking the bishop, claiming that he sought to plunge the nation into anarchy.
In his highly-controversial Christmas message, Kukah said that only a Northern Muslim President like Muhammadu Buhari could have got away with the level of nepotism in the present administration.
He accused President Buhari of “reducing others in public life to second-class status” as a way of institutionalising northern hegemony.
“Every honest Nigerian knows that there is no way any non-Northern Muslim President could have done a fraction of what President Buhari has done by his nepotism and gotten away with it.
“There would have been a military coup a long time ago or we would have been at war. The President may have concluded that Christians will do nothing and will live with these actions.
“He may be right and we Christians cannot feel sorry that we have no pool of violence to draw from or threaten our country. However, God does not sleep. We can see from the inexplicable dilemma of his North,” Kukah’s message had read in part.
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Reacting, the Catholic Church stated, “We are quite aware of the 2020 Christmas Message by our revered Bishop Hassan Kukah and the enormous space it has enjoyed on social media and in the public sphere.
“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 situation in Nigeria no longer allows anyone to sit on the fence, indifference is now a greater form of sin. Everyone must choose and stand up for what he/she believes in.
“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.”