THE Presidency of Nigeria, on Sunday, accused the popular Catholic cleric Bishop Matthew Kukah of spreading falsehood with the intent to discredit the administration.
The Presidency was referring to the cleric’s recent address to the US Congress.
A statement released by President Buhari’s Media Aide, Garba Shehu, accused the cleric of spreading falsehood with the intent to discredit the administration.
Kukah had in a virtual appearance before the American lawmakers criticised President Muhammadu Buhari’s handling of the security situation in Nigeria.
He also alleged that President Buhari was nepotistic in key appointments and favoured Muslims over Christians.
“The whole of the North is being invaded by armed bandits that are launching attacks at will. The President has shown nepotism in his appointments as he is appointing only people that share the same religion with him into key political offices like the security Chiefs,” Kukah had said.
“For the first time in Nigeria, the first three persons: the President, the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representative are all Muslims.
“This has never happened before. So, we require practical and measuring assistance that can help us and our children.”
In reaction, Shehu reprimanded the cleric for “doing his best to sow discord and strife among Nigerians.”
The statement reads, “It is unfortunate, and disappointing, for citizens of Nigeria to bear witness to one of their Churchmen castigating their country in front of representatives of a foreign parliament.”
Garba also said that, contrary to Kukah’s comments, Christians were not being unfairly targeted under Buhari’s administration.
He said, “With due respect to the esteemed position he holds, the Bishop’s assertion that only Christian schools are being targeted by bandits or terrorists is not supported by the facts on the ground. It is sad to say but also true that victims of crime, kidnapping, banditry and terrorism cut across all strata of the society. Sad but true that Kankara students in Katsina State were stolen by bandits of the same Islamic faith as those they took away.
“The same may be true of those who are still holding the 134 students of the Islamic School at Tegina in Niger State. The nation witnessed the sad incident of the female students abducted by bandits at Jangebe in Zamfara State and the over 100 predominantly Muslim students of the Federal Government Girls College Birnin Yauri in Kebbi State who are currently in captivity- and the nation’s security agencies are hard at work to release them unharmed.
“The attack on Christian students is sad and unacceptable; so also is the abduction of students of other faiths. The claim that only Christian schools are being targeted is totally untrue.”
Buhari has been criticised by many Nigerians for his handling of the security situation in the country, as banditry and kidnappings have continued to become more rampant since the turn of the
