PFN backs Kukah over comments on state of nation

President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Felix Omobude, on Wednesday urged those attacking the Catholic Bishop of the Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Kukah, over his comments on the state of the nation to desist from it and should not use him as the sacrificial lamb.

Mr Kukah had in his recent Christmas message accused President Muhammadu Buhari of nepotism and sundry shortcomings.

He noted that there could have been a coup if a non-northern president “did a fraction of what the Nigerian leader has done.”

His comment had attracted the ire of the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF) which described it as a “treasonable felony against the Nigerian state” and called for the arrest and prosecution of Mr Kukah.

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But while speaking on issues relating to the current state of the nation at a press conference in Benin City, Edo State, Mr Omobude said the Sokoto Bishop spoke truth to those in power.

He added that Mr Kukah spoke “what was in the minds of most Nigerians and should be commended for voicing out when others kept quiet when things were getting out of control”.

Mr Omobude said, “Well, I appreciate Bishop Kukah. I don’t think we have interacted one-on-one but if you follow him, you will know that he is down to earth when it has to do with telling the truth.

“Bishop Kukah is an advocate of democracy so he could not have been calling for the military overthrow of the government. The issues that he raised are very glaring.

“Now, it is only in this country that you can’t talk against the government and go free. What is the dust for? I know that the minister of information is paid for his job but he should be honest enough to face certain truth.

“People call Mr Trump all kinds of names and never has anybody been sued for insulting him but people have been sued in Nigeria for insulting the president.

“So, Bishop Kukah spoke the minds of genuine Nigerians. And any attempt by anybody to impose a section of the nation upon the other is bound to cause chaos.”

‘True patriot’

The PFN president said Mr Kukah should be seen as a true patriot of Nigeria for being the voice of the voiceless.

“Bishop Kukah should be seen as a patriot and not a sacrificial lamb. He is not a hater of government but he is a lover of truth. I stand wholeheartedly on his views,” he said.

Mr Omobude, who also spoke on COVID-19 and its second wave in the country, enjoined all Nigerians to take full responsibility in mitigating its spread by adhering to the NCDC protocols.

He thanked God for His mercy upon the lives of every Nigerian.