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BY ANKELI EMMANUEL
The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Dioceses, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah decried on Tuesday that, Nigeria is still living under a divided society in the name religion or region.
Bishop Kukah, who sues for genuine unity from all stakeholders, warned that continuing under the banner of religion or region remained one of the major cause of the tensions and crisis bedeveling us as a nation.
Speaking exclusively to LEADERSHIP after United States Agency for International Development (USIAD) Mission Director, Mr. Stephen Haykin paid him a courtesy visit at St. Bakhita Catholic Secretariat, Sokoto, Bishop Kukah said, until every Nigerian is fully integrated in the scheme of things not minding where you come from, then, we would be heading towards getting it right.
“And this is the kind of society we want to point out. Because we cannot continue this way of living in a divided society under the name of religion or region, because this is what is creating a lot of the tensions and criss that we have now”.
On the reasons for the USAID Mission Director’s visit, Bishop Kukah said, they were in Sokoto furtherance to their concern about feeding the people and to guarantee their future.
Bishop Kukah who pointed out that, Catholics are not inward looking, hence allowing everybody to benefit from a resources which ordinarily would have gone to their people, added that, he is happy to have been able to direct favourable traffic to the area where he is serving at the moment.
The outspoken cleric who commended governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal for his leadership prowess, however urged him to ensure that the pronouncement of no settlers in Sokoto is a reality, hence, the happenings seems to be to the contrary.
“We commend the government of Sokoto state for the efforts they are making but for us to become fully integrated, then this pronouncement of no indigene, no settlers in Sokoto should not only be verbal.
“It should be possible for someone who was born in Sokoto to also be able to get a scholarship. Just as it should be possible for a police man to say I am from Sokoto mad my name is Thomas. Just as it’s our hope and prayers that an Abdullahi can represent Anambra or Imo because he is from there.
“So going forward, I feel happy that, I have been directing favourable traffic to this environment where I work. Traffic that is above religion and I am hoping that we can put our hands together to be able to uplift the welfare and livelihood of our people” Bishop Kukah advised.
Leadership Newspaper