The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, said Nigeria’s political atmosphere favours criminality.
He bemoaned a situation whereby the system rejects certain persons and likened it to “cashing a dud cheque.”
Kukah said Nigeria will continue to experience bad governance if the status quo remains the same, “Our atmosphere favours criminality and that is why we are producing what we have and why the system is skewed against probity,” he told ThePunch’s Tunde Ajaja in an interview.
Speaking on 2023 general election which is generating lots of debates on who and which geopolitical to produce the next president, the Bishop opined that the #EndSars protest would be a prominent role in flushing out some of the bad guys “that have poisoned the atmosphere.”
#EndSars protest began across Nigerian major cities a few days ago and across some countries around the World.
The protest called for an end to police brutality, bad governance, impunity by the political class, and the ineffectiveness of the National Assembly and its members to drive the desired change.
Protesters also called on members of the National Assembly to cut their monthly pay by more than 50% while calling for unicameral legislature instead of the current two chambers which they described as parasitic to the polity and economy.
Kukah believes that the youth could play a critical role in driving a change “If the youth can hold their dream, they will play a critical role in determining the future of our politics.”
He said there is need for the politicians to embrace technology so as to reduce stealing and manipulation
“After all, the men of yesterday and today have perfected the stealing of elections by rejecting science and technology.
“It is what the youth have in plenty, and with it criminality can be sabotaged and a more transparent system installed, ThePunch quoted him as saying
I’m saddened Nigerians politicians don’t care about the masses
Speaking on the gains of democracy since 1999, Kukah said it’s regrettable that the political class doesn’t care about the masses, stating that most illiterate and ill-prepared persons find their way into political offices.
“ I am saddened by the humongous theft and misuse of our resources. I am saddened by the criminal negligence of the weak and the poor.”
Described as the capital of poverty, Kukah stated that if the right people were in government, “This country should have no pact with poverty”.
For Nigeria to move forward, Kukah called an end to the stranglehold of feudalism, nepotism, greed, hate and injustice.