Kampala, 22 July, 2021 / 8:14 pm (ACI Africa).
Catholic Bishops of Nigeria’s Ibadan Ecclesiastical Province have come to the defense of the Local Ordinary of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah , whose recent address to the U.S Congress triggered harsh criticism from the Presidency of the West African nation.
The government of Nigeria has allegedly accused Bishop Kukah of “spreading false information with the intent to discredit the administration.”
In their Tuesday, July 20 statement shared with ACI Africa, the Catholic Bishops of the Nigerian Ecclesiastical Province that include the Archdiocese of Ibadan and the Dioceses of Ondo, Ilorin, Oyo, Osogbo express their support for Bishop Kukah who they say is keen on improving the situation in Nigeria.
“We support Bishop Kukah in his effort to unveil the truth about the Nigerian situation in order to ameliorate things. We call on the Nigerian government to learn not to see criticism as an attack or a crime,” the Catholic Bishops say.
In his virtual address to the 2021 International Religious Freedom Summit in Washington, D.C on July 14, Bishop Kukah criticized the Muhammadu Buhari-led government for failing to address insecurity, saying the laxity is either due to helplessness or disinterestedness.