The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Kukah, Monday, advised President Bola Tinubu on certain steps that must be taken to make Nigeria better. He warned the Nigerian leader that neither God nor history would forgive him if he failed as president.
Bishop Kukah said this in a Christmas message where he described Nigeria as a nation in search of healing.
“Under your watch, Nigeria must turn the corner. Under your watch, we must end the ugly instrumentalisation of religious, ethnic or regional identities,” the cleric stated.
He said President Tinubu has had enough time to think of the answers to many questions crying for answers, adding that Nigerians would not forgive him if he fails.
“Your future and that of our country is in your hands. Mr President, you have no excuses before God or the people of Nigeria. Neither God nor history will forgive you if you fail.
“This is our moment, our date with history. Now, all eyes and ears are on you. Our prayers for a united country are with you,” Kukah said.
On the policies taken by President Tinubu so far, the cleric said some of them have caused suffering for the masses.
“So far, a few of your key policies have unleashed a raft of suffering on the masses of our people. There must be a deliberate effort to restore hope to the faces of the poor and vulnerable in our society,” he said.
However, the Bishop said he has seen some renewed hope in President Tinubu’s effort to “run an inclusive government,” and advised him to end partisanship and address structural issues.
“We want an end to partisanship. The problems of Nigeria are deep-seated and they are based on a culture of corruption that has become the foundation stone of governance. This evil structure has to be dismantled.
“Nigeria’s problems will not be resolved by palliatives. The problems are deep and are structural. Please do not be afraid to reset the template of power no matter the cultural or historical myths. We are tired of promises and stories. We want evidence we can see and touch,” he said.
