Kukah: What’s the noise about?

CONSTRUCTIVE criticism is part of the lubricants of democracy and indeed human existence. Through constructive engagements, a system is able to mark its areas of success, conflict and shortcomings for the purpose of self-correction and reconstruction. However, the present federal administration seems to abhor criticism, no matter how genuine. In sharp contrast to the fundamental principles of participatory democracy, it perceives criticism as persecutory and sacrilegious. No system is perfect: that is the basis of efforts at fine-tuning and re-engineering of the structures, policies and programmes of government.

Evidence of the Buhari administration’s poor response to issues of governance abound. Before its latest banal attack on the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Reverend Matthew Hassan Kukah over his recent alarm on the precarious state of affairs in the country, the administration had taken umbrage at criticisms and warnings by international organizations and prominent individuals. In the case of Kukah, he had decried the brazen display of nepotism, inept leadership, conflict of interest, religious intolerance, wanton killings and the general state of insecurity that was taking the country near the precipice. Like many other major stakeholders in the country, Kukah had hoped that the authorities would deem it fit to take decisive actions to arrest the drift. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, northern elders, prominent individuals and organisations had expressed apprehension over the cloud of uncertainty hanging over the nation. With the country becoming almost ungovernable due to terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, abduction and other violent crimes, some sections of the international community had also expressed worries over the future of the geographical entity called Nigeria.

As a citizen, Kukah has the right to express his indignation on the state of affairs. The distress call he made through his Christmas homily fell within that purview. It is embarrassing that what many rightly regard as his patriotic action was misconstrued by apologists of the Buhari government who left the substance of the message to engage in shadow-boxing. They failed to admit the reality that the country was teetering precariously. The government embarked on complete verbal assaults on him. Rather than going after Kukah, the government should do a serious soul-searching and take further measures aimed at rescuing the country. We have published countless editorials on the Buhari administration’s unbalanced appointments, nepotism and disdain for laid-down principles and rules of good governance and stability of the country. The government has consistently ignored candid advice for equity, justice and fair play.

Till today, appointments are skewed in favour of a section of the country. The president’s blatant disregard for the federal character principle and quota system as part of the ingredients for fostering nation-building, mutual respect and relationship and sense of belonging among the federating units has exacerbated tension, bitterness and divisions along ethnic, geographical and religious cleavages. There is raging anger over the distribution and allocation of federal projects and resources generally across the board. One ethnic group continuously holds over 300 others to ransom by unleashing terror across the country. Kukah has only restated the obvious and demanded for quick action to remedy the prevalent situation as it constitutes a time bomb.

The president must embrace the cardinal principles of justice for all and restore public confidence in the country. So far, he has not demonstrated sufficient capacity and will-power to uphold his touted promise to belong to nobody and instead belong to everybody.

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