OPINION: MATTHEW KUKAH’S IDIOSYNCRASIES AND REACTIONS FROM SOKOTO/PRESIDENCY

By IBRAHIM ABDULLAHI

“According to Muslim Solidarity Forum, several religious crises recorded in Nigeria in the past such as Kafanchan (1987), Zango-Kataf (1992), Tafawa Balewa 1991, 1993, 1995 and 2001, Yelwan Shendam 2004, Zonkwa and Jarkasa 2011 were all precipitated by reckless verbal attacks such as the ones emanating from Mathew Kukah. They therefore requested for apology from him to the Muslim Ummah or he quietly leaves Sokoto peacefully so as not to ignite fresh religious crisis in Sokoto!”

I have studied the problems facing Nigeria and its people now and felt totally disappointed about our leaders’ lack of competence to govern the people correctly.

In fact, some Muslims might not have been able to sleep well till the day-break today following the reaction of the Presidency to the Press Conference and Statement of Muslim Solidarity Forum of Sokoto published in the Daily Trust of yesterday Wed. 13th January, 2021.

Members on this Platform and Muslims generally would recall the terrible, provocative and inciting sermon preached by Rev. Mathew Kukah on the last Xmas Day (25th December, 2020 in his Catholic Church in Sokoto, Sokoto State.

In the sermon, he accused President Muhammadu Buhari of nepotism and stated that if a fraction of what Buhari has committed so far, was committed by a non-Northern Muslim President, there would have been a coup in the country. He also accused Muslims of being a people ‘with a pool of violence to draw from’ without justifying his assertion with any proof.

He went further to state that the killings we are witnessing in Nigeria today is part of a religious grand-design to convince his audience that Muslims are trouble-makers. Which killings? Is it that of Boko Haram, bandits and other insurgents in which over 90 percent of victims are Muslims? What is this political priest talking about?

These irresponsible and provocative statements made by Kukah made several Muslim bodies in this country to condemn Mathew Kukah for his condemnable utterances. Notable Muslim organizations, such as the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), Muslim Media Watch Group of Nigeria (MMWG), Jamaatul-Nasir Islam (JNI) and of course the Muslim Solidarity Forum in Sokoto to mention just a few, to strongly condemn Mathew Kukah for his falsehood, calculated utterances aimed at igniting religious crisis in Nigeria.

In its reaction yesterday (Wednesday 13th January), the Muslim Solidarity Forum Sokoto, exposed Mathew Kukah’s antics of using Public Lectures, Sermons and media interviews to pour venomous attacks on Muslims and Islam without any justification. The Forum recalled his campaign against Sharia even in the North inspite of the fact that it has Nigerian Constitution’s approval. His collusion with Obasanjo and Jonathan Regimes to make political appointments during their tenure one-sided in favour of Christians, his propaganda and falsehood that Christians are denied of places of worship in Northern parts of the country, despite proliferation of churches in predominantly Muslim dominated States such as Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara, Bauchi and Katsina just to.mention a few were cited.

It recalled the shameless protest led by him (Kukah) in Sokoto in February 2020 over the death of a Catholic priest in far away Adamawa State without considering such a protest necessary for hundreds of Muslim Fulani herders killed by Christian militia in Taraba State in 2018!

MSF of Sokoto noted that Kukah has been living in Sokoto – Seat of the Caliphate for more than 10 years and enjoying peaceful atmosphere without any molestation by anybody in line with islamic teaching.

These and others prompted the Forum to ask Kukah why he takes pleasure in attacking Muslim Personalities, Islam and blackmailing Muslims generally in his churches and public activities?

According to Muslim Solidarity Forum, several religious crises recorded in Nigeria in the past such as Kafanchan (1987), Zango-Kataf (1992), Tafawa Balewa 1991, 1993, 1995 and 2001, Yelwan Shendam 2004, Zonkwa and Jarkasa 2011 were all precipitated by reckless verbal attacks such as the ones emanating from Mathew Kukah.

They therefore requested for apology from him to the Muslim Ummah or he quietly leaves Sokoto peacefully so as not to ignite fresh religious crisis in Sokoto!

Muslim Ummah would recall that the DSS issued a warning last week that religious crisis were brewing in some States and could possibly escalate. It advised people to conduct their affairs peacefully devoid of any breach of peace. In the statement Sokoto and Top States were among the States cited.

Now, where is DSS, Police and other Intelligence/ Security Agencies since the reckless, malicious and irresponsible statement came out from Mathew Kukah? What have they done to reprimand him on his acts of constant provocations by telling lies and spreading false propaganda about Islam and Muslims? Does his statement about ‘a coup’ and that Muslims possess ‘a pool of violence that could be drawn from’ not amount to callous innuendos and blackmail? What relevance is his Xmas sermon to peace and stability Nigeria needs today? Are the Security Agencies afraid of Kukah and that is why he has not been invited, detained for prosecution or reprimand?

These and other questions need to be answered. However, I believe that we should commend Muslim Solidarity Forum Sokoto under the leadership of Prof Isa Muhammad Maishanu for the Press Conference and Statement as published in the Daily Trust of yesterday. Muslim Activists and Leaders should look a copy of the Newspaper for ‘record-keeping’. The statement is on page 13 of Daily Trust of Wed. 13th January, 2021.

Muslims must condemn in strong terms the statement credited to SSA to the President Mal. Garba Shehu yesterday on this matter, condemning the call made by Muslim Solidarity Forum, Sokoto. The statement is unwarranted, incredible and disgusting.

How could a Government that neglected its duties and responsibilities accuse a peace-loving Islamic Body that sues for peace of attempting to divide the Country? Why should FG seat aimlessly and watch a so-called priest descrerating the Nation for his own personal political interest and the Nation continue to treat him as ‘a sacred cow’? Must Government wait until damage is done before taking steps? At any rate, this is what has happened in many cases that has brought the Nation to where we are today!

How can individual or section of minority have audacity to cause religious crises and authorities would not take steps to prevent chaos that could emanate from such irresponsible acts?

Muslims and Muslim Bodies must fire back to the statement emanating from the Presidency as it is in bad taste.

Presidency reaction to the matter yesterday is a glaring error and inappropriate action that could escalate the current religious tension induced by senseless Mathew Kukah’s irresponsible sermon.

FG must not sacrifice the dignity of Islam, the honour of peace-loving Muslims at the altar of politics by condemning the reaction of an Islamic Body when it failed to act appropriately.

Mathew Kukah is the leading hate-speech maker in Nigeria today, followed by the retired Deputy Governor of CBN who said he knew the Governor sponsoring Boko-Haram in Nigeria! When invited by the Police and DSS,he could not substantiate his allegation, and yet nothing is heard about the matter again! What type Country is this?

No Nigerian Leader has been more nepotic ethnically and religiously fanatical than President Olusegun Obasanjo and President Goodluck Jonathan during their tenure as their appointments tilted to the sides of the Christians during their 8 years and 6 years rule respectively.

Mathew Kukah was praising them, to the extent that he said ‘Even if Jonathan stole all the money Nigeria had, for fact he handed-over governance to Buhari after his tenure was over, he should be commended’. Is that a sensible comment? His loyalty to discredited politicians has blind-folded him from knowing what is wrong from what is right!

Kukah claimed not to know where he has insulted Muslims and Islam when he was replying the Secretary-General of JNI Dr. Khalid Aliyu. No patriotic and responsible Nigerian would not know where Kukah has wronged the Muslims and Islam from what I have narrated so far!

The present Administration of Buhari cannot boast of anything it has done for Muslims specially and we are not grudging him for that. However, it must not use its tenure to placate any individual or Group. The Christians are known back their own no matter what they have done, except very few of them who are reasonable.

We must condemn irresponsible speech-makers no matter positions.

The Presidency statement that advises Muslims to go to court if offended by Kukah’s utterances is ‘in bad taste’ and must not be accepted at all.

Rather, offenders of our laws must be arrested and prosecuted as hate-speech is criminal and must be treated as such. The civil-war of 1967 – 1970 was triggered by hate-speech the like of which is being peddled by Mathew Kukah now.

Muslim Bodies and Leaders must correct this Administration especially when it errs grossly like this!

Wassalamu Alaikum Wa-rahmatullahi Wabarakatuhu.

*Excerpts from comment by Islamic Missionary Association of Nigeria (ISMAN), National Secretariat, Ilorin, Kwara State, North Central Nigeria.