My former Comrades now accuse me of being a politician in cassock – Bishop Kukah

Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Mattew Hassan Kukah has said he is being accused of being a politician in cassock by those he fought against the military with whom he said are now in current government of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Speaking at the 80th Birthday Lecture of Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Bishop Kukah noted that he will never leave his duty post of fighting for justice.

For his constant criticism of the current Nigerian government, Bishop Kukah had been accused by politicians and many officials of the current administration of double standard and duplicity. Kukah was alleged to be very cossy with the previous Peoples Democratic Party’s administration led by former President Goodluck Jonathan while he has been acerbic in criticism of the APC government at the Federal level.

In a lecture to celebrate the birthday of deliver Pastor Adeboye on Thursday, Kukah said that the current state of the country makes it difficult for any patriot not to raise voice against bad governance adding that the rise in rebellion against the state is the result of the abandonment of citizens by leaders.

“I have often been accused by my enemies of being political. They say I am a politician in a cassock. I actually like it when they say that because at least, it means that I have never taken the easy part of pretending to be neutral. In the struggle against dictatorship, the military people told me to take off my cassock and join politics because I was worrying them.

“Today, those we struggled for Democracy together with are now making the same accusations under a  Democracy in which they are beneficiaries and are not become altar boys and defending tyranny themselves. They see nothing wrong with closing the spaces for freedom. Now, like the military we fought, they now say  I am a politician in cassock.

“I have been accused of making what these men call, divisive comments rather than appealing to citizens for unity. They believe sadly, that a religious leader should at all times summon people to obedience, under these horrible circumstances.

“Again, here, I do not have a problem because I know that the grain and the chaff cannot be served as one. To be divisive in times of crisis and moral darkness is to beckon our people, victims of injustice and the wickedness of state actors to see the light of truth.

“So, yes, a good part of the criticisms are often good music to my ears because, in logic, it is evident that while some of my colleagues of yesterday who were in NADECO, civil society have changed jerseys, joined new clubs, I have remained at my station as a politician in cassock. I know that when it all ends, they will come back saying what a patriot I am.

We speak out of conviction without looking at the direction of the political wind. Indeed, to borrow the significant promise of our President at his inauguration, I am for everybody and for nobody! I will never walk away from the duty post of justice.”