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Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, on Saturday, cautioned the Bishop of Sokoto Catholic Diocese, Mathew Kukah, that it was “graceless and impious for any religious leader to use the period of Christmas, which is a season of peace, to stoke the embers of hatred, sectarian strife and national disunity”.
He disclosed this in a statement titled, ‘FG Urges Religious Leaders To Eschew Message of Disharmony’. also warned religious leaders in the country to “refrain from stoking the embers of hatred and disunity” which could “trigger unintended consequences,” Punch reports.
The Minister spoke in reaction to Bishop Kukah’s Christmas message where he accused President Muhammadu Buhari of nepotism.
Kukah had said, “Every honest Nigerian knows that there is no way any non-Northern Muslim President could have done a fraction of what President Buhari has done by his nepotism and gotten away with it.
Mohamed in his reaction on Saturday, said Kukah and other religious leaders have a responsibility to speak truth to power but “such truth must not come wrapped in anger, hatred, disunity and religious disharmony”.
The minister said it was “graceless and impious for any religious leader to use the period of Christmas, which is a season of peace, to stoke the embers of hatred, sectarian strife and national disunity”.
Referencing Kukah’s claim that there could have been a coup or war in the country should any other leader exhibit Buhari’s “nepotistic behaviour”, the minister warned, “Calling for a violent overthrow of a democratically-elected government, no matter how disguised such a call is, and casting a particular religion as violent is not what any religious leader should engage in, and certainly not in a season of peace.”
He added, “While some religious leaders, being human, may not be able to disguise their national leadership preference, they should refrain from stigmatising the leader they have never supported anyway, using well-worn and disproved allegations of nepotism or whatever.”
“Whatever challenges Nigeria may be going through at this moment can only be tackled when all leaders and indeed all Nigerians come together, not when some people arrogantly engage in name-calling and finger-pointing.”
This post was written by Obiajulu Joel Nwolu.
The views expressed here belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect our views and opinions.