The Catholic Bishop of Diocese of Sokoto, Matthew Kukah, yesterday, said that toxic politics has poisoned religion in Nigeria, while charging Christians to walk towards the barking dog.
He said this while delivering an anniversary lecture at the flag off ceremony of the 70th Anniversary, Logo and Mascot launch of the order of the Knights of Saint Mulumba, KSM Nigeria.
Kukah said Nigeria now ranked as 9th worst country for Christians to live in the world.
His words: “Now Nigeria is being ranked as 9th worst country for Christians to live in. We are number nine and Iran is number eight, everywhere I go, people keep asking me what is happening to Christians and Muslims in Nigeria. Toxic politics has now poisoned our religion.
“Though I am not a Vetinarian, but I was told that when a dog is barking, you walk towards it because if you turn back, it would attack. My point is that we Christians must walk towards the barking dog.
“As I speak, for past three weeks my Priest, a young man and a sister are still in captivity even though the Nigerian state wishes to pretend that we are not negotiating with the kidnappers but as I am talking we are negotiating with the kidnappers because I don’t know how else to get back my priest.
“It is a very painful experience, my own blood relations have been kidnapped, I lost a Priest last year to kidnappers, I have lost a Seminarian to kidnappers and somehow we like to pretend we have a government, of course we have the apparatus of government, we have the scaffolding, but this scaffolding is important because people are able see access and appropriate resources of state.
“As to what the state needs to do, they are still far away from that reality. It is a very painful and sad reality that as at the last conversation with the kidnappers we have negotiated up to N20 million which I do not have.
“And the kidnappers think this is chicken fee. And I am supposed to pay money to people who are murderers, who would murder anybody, I am supposed to pay money to people who are buying aeroplane and killing people as you hear about Southern Kaduna last week, I was supposed to pay money to people who are prepared to destroy our country and there seems to be no sign to end this madness,” he said
The Archbishop of the Metropolitan See of Lagos, Most Rev. Alfred Adewale Martins represented by
Vicar General, Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos, Monsignor John Aniagwu, advised Nigerian electorates to get their PVCs and avoid being manipulated in the 2023 elections.
Aniagwu said: “There is a way forward if we allow through democracy to prevail and elect the right people. Nigeria is endowed with so many right people who can who can lead us to the right direction to overcome the challenges we are facing.”
Chief host and Worthy Supreme Knight, Charles Mbelede, alongside Chief hostess, Ladies of Saint Mulumba, Lady Meg Anozia, appreciated God for the landmark event while assuring that the group will do more to impact the society positively.
