Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Rev. Mathew Hassan Kukah, has said he worries about the country as a whole more than his own life because the 'tragedy afflicting the country is not a matter of individual survival.'
Kukah who made this known in an interview with Daily Sun on the occasion of his 70th birthday, described the current state of the country as the "worse phase in the history," but said he believes Nigeria may not experience any more like it.
"Frankly, I have never seen the tragedy that has afflicted us as a matter of individual survival, but how to rescue a great nation from the perfidy of political marauders who are prepared to sacrifice their people as a means of retaining power," Kukah said when asked why he risks his life by consistently being on the side of the people.
The bishop has faced many backlash and threats to his life by Muslims in the North over his outspoken position on national issues and criticism of the president Muhammadu Buhari government.
"This is the worse phase in the history of our nation and I believe it will be the last. It is unlikely that we shall ever have a government with such a low threshold of pursuing the common good of all citizens, nor will we have one that squandered so much goodwill on the altar of very severely narrow and parochial ends," he lamented.
"So, rather than worry about my life being at risk, I am concerned that I am living in a country that has been placed on red alert in the area of collective human survival of its citizens," he added.
Kukah also revealed in his latest interview with Arise News, that he is excited that the failures of the current government, has become an eye opener for those who voted based on religious and ethnic sentiments in the 2015 elections.
He said Nigerians, particularly Muslims in the North, have realized they have been lied to, “and we have all seen the consequences of religious manipulations.”
He said, “The passion that drove people in 2015, those passions have been dissipated because people realised that they were lied to. We have videos of many Northern clerics who confessed tearfully that they deceived their people by saying that these elections in 2015 were a jihad, whatever that meant. Now, we’re seeing the consequences of religious manipulations.
“Those who used ethnicity have now paid the price. Beyond the thousands of people who have lost their lives, one positive thing from what we have experienced in the last eight years is that anybody with a sense of discernment will appreciate the fact that voting for any candidate because he tells you he’s going to establish an Islamic state or he’s going to establish a Christian state or privilege Christians, that should be your first sign of realising that this is the worst fraud any politician can sell to you.
He said there is a radical change in perception of what Nigeria is in the North as those who where sold religion in 2015, have now realized they were deceived. He said the people were left wondering how Jonathan who isn't a Muslim, did more for Muslims in the North, than their own Islamic politicians.
"I know hundreds, thousands of farmers who definitely have changed their perception of what Nigeria is and have an idea of whom they can trust. To hear ordinary Muslims in Northern Nigerians and other places lamenting and sounding nostalgic about President Jonathan’s frontal take on the Almajiri thing.
“And Jonathan not being a Muslim had the foresight to value education so much that he will spend billions of Naira building Almajiri schools and nothing came of that and that they have seen no critical effort by those who are Muslims themselves.”
He said heading into next year's presidential election, Nigerians must avoid making the mistakes made in 2015, by moving away from voting based on ethnic, religious, or political sentiments, and vote for someone with the "understanding of the complexity of what is wrong with Nigeria" and is capable of tackling the perennial challenges facing the country.
“My argument is that anybody who aspires to rule Nigeria and we have the opportunity to, we (Nigerians) must redesign the template of confrontation and you (presidential candidate) must be able to confront Nigerians and answer their questions."
"The energy in this coming election is tremendous and I am excited about the energy of the young people and their attention to the country’s election.
“I believe that Nigerians are energised and they have a choice to make. But we must ensure we see through the candidates and choose right to get the desired outcome,” he added.