The Bishop of Catholic Church, Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Kukah, who is also a member of the National Peace Committee, in this interview with TUNDE AJAJA, talks about the 2019 elections and governance in the country
Nigerians may not forget in a hurry the roles the
National Peace Committee played after the 2015 elections, especially the
presidential election. Can we assume that the committee would
continually be a part of our electoral process, even if it is only to
ensure peaceful transition?
All Nigerians are anxious for our
politics to get better. Sadly, the political prostitution of this
‘joining this party today’, ‘defecting to that party tomorrow’ makes the
terrain slippery and the development of a political culture of decency
and decorum difficult. There will always be a need for referees and so,
yes, the roles might change but I think that generally, given the way
politics is played in Africa, there is a need for an uncle and an aunty
to be a source of encouragement for the people. African politicians need
some level of moral restraint such as offered by the National Peace
Committee.
The initiative by the committee that presidential
candidates should sign a peace agreement generated a lot of interest few
weeks ago, but some are saying it is high time the committee was backed
by law so as to make such a deal binding on all contestants, especially
with the fears that the elections might not be peaceful?
Well,
you are right and at this stage, let us go with what we have. All great
things started small. I am hopeful that we can carefully think out the
best strategy to make the NPC work more effectively. However, we can
fall victim to bureaucratisation because the credibility of the NPC lies
in the quality of the people engaged and their independence. We are
open to ideas but we need to be careful that the politicians do not take
control of the NPC because people trust it.
For years, you have
always engaged in intellectual discourse on the prosperity of Nigeria
and why the nation must get it right. But despite the years you and some
others have put into this, not much seems to have changed. If the
situation persists, will you at some point get tired of talking about
the country’s issues?
No, I am a priest and my faith is a guide.
Faith is the foundation on which life is built. I am deeply appreciative
and thankful to Nigerians for their inspiration. The level of
appreciation I have received and continued to receive from people on the
streets, in public spaces and so on, is inspiring and it is part of my
oxygen. Nigeria is changing and it may not be changing at the speed we
want, but I am convinced that we will get there. Yes and no. Yes, I
worry that we could and should have gathered speed, but no, I am not
discouraged because I see hope in the faces of people I encounter. This
country is ours to build and we shall build it. All we need is to get
the little chance to lay our own little blocks as opposed to looking up
to the big people in power, many of who have really missed the road and
are an embarrassment to public office.
The United States has
expressed fears that there might be violence in the forthcoming
elections. Do you think that is something to worry about, especially as
the Independent National Electoral Commission said recently that the
2018 primaries were the most acrimonious in recent history?
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The
United States is containing their own ‘wahala’ (problem) so leave them
and let us mind our business. I think it is great that they and other
nations are interested in our affairs but their predictions will not
determine our elections. Often, these nations are running with the hound
and hunting with the hunter at the same time. So, no one is God and we
must focus on getting the job done. Let them cope with Trumpism (the
policies advocated by President Donald Trump).
Looking at such
predictions from foreign bodies and how the foreign media, like The
Economist, try to predict outcomes or favour one candidate over another,
do you think we allow too much foreign interference in our elections?
I
do not make prophecy. I take one day at a time and as I always say, we
do not know who will be here on Election Day. People make predictions
and people have come to live with predictions. Politics is a game and
everything can be betted on so do not worry about predictions. The
Economist has no vote; it is Nigerians that have the votes.
Vote-buying
is another evil that is now manifesting in our elections. In your view,
how did we get here? Can we strictly put the blame on poverty?
Vote-buying
is a logical product of our system. Can you point at one single
politician who is not the subject of negotiation – one who bought or
sold favours – from the least to the top most? We are used to this
culture of using one specialised vocabulary for the poor and another for
powerful people. For example, we say the rich misappropriate and the
poor steal. The poor are engaged in vote-buying/selling and how much are
we talking about – N2,000 to N5,000? These heavy contracts that are
being negotiated, the tons of dollars that are used at conventions and
primaries, why do you not call that vote-buying? What you call
vote-buying, as terrible as it is, is the fruit of the tree planted and
watered by our politics. Every level of the competition is engaged in
vote transaction, at all levels or parties.
Despite the stern
warning issued by INEC in the run-up to the Osun election, the menace
only got worse as the politicians went digital; making funds transfer to
voters’ accounts. What is the way out of this menace?
It is only
technology that will change our behaviour. Do traffic lights not change
behaviour on the roads? We will be on this road until we respond to
these issues by using technology and science, not moral suasion and
exhortation.
You once said that religion is supposed to be a
means of refining the society. Does it mean that religion is partly or
wholly to blame for the issues we have in different parts of the
country?
I do not know why you assume that religion stands alone.
Who do you blame when a man uses a knife to cause injury to another
person and praise a man who uses a knife to peel an orange? Do you
praise or blame the knife or the person in whose hands it is? I have
said it before; religion is so important that every Nigerian politician
must pretend that they are religious and you see it every day and
everywhere.
Ideally, religious leaders are supposed to offer
moral compass, especially as political leaders also attend various
religious houses. Is it that the Nigerian situation is irredeemable or
we have never had leaders that are humane?
You can have a compass
and still miss your way if you are distracted and do not focus on the
direction offered by the compass. A road sign showing you how to get
from Lagos to Ibadan, Oyo State will not take you to Ibadan by itself.
You have to start walking if you wish to walk, or get on your bicycle or
car if you wish to go to Ibadan. So, do not blame the moral compass,
blame those who ignore the compass.
Many prefer clerics like
you to stay away from political discourse. But given your contribution
over the years, how do you cope when people abuse you for some of your
actions and statements?
I can tell you that well over 95 per cent
of those who disagreed with me have always turned round in the end. I
am not always correct and people should not always agree with me, but I
think before I express my opinion. There are many who, to use your word,
abused me (though I will not put it that way), during the military
regime, when they were in government and now, they are full of praises. I
am used to that because I know that when people think that you have
something to say, they want you on their side and if you are not on
their side, they assume you must be on the other side. I have always
been on one side; that is the side of Nigeria. My friends and enemies
cross boundaries, parties and ethnicities.
For example, you
were present at the reconciliation meeting between former President
Olusegun Obasanjo and the presidential candidate of the Peoples
Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar. What did you think about the backlash
from some people who felt that your presence subtly meant endorsement of
Atiku?
No, not at all. Every action and inaction will always be subject to misinterpretation. So, it is all in the game.
There
were protests in France some weeks ago over tax increase and other
issues of governance, and in response, the government announced tax
relief and increased the minimum wage. In our case here, people only
complain on the social media. Would you say Nigerians are docile?
Well,
it seems that the only time anyone is on the streets is when labour
wants more pay. I feel saddened that we have not been able to appreciate
the relationship between the streets and our democracy. Again, sadly,
we are all hostages to the fact that no one wants to lose face with the
government of the day. There are no causes for which we are ready to
fight or die.
Given the level of poverty in the North and the
seemingly lukewarm attitude of leaders from that region to address it,
what is the solution as such neglect has continued to fuel social vices
with such children being ready tools for terrorism?
Well, my
people in the North believe that it is government that will do
everything. Perhaps people are still hostages to the notion that there
is no distinction between religion and state. The northern elite remain
totally untouched by the seriousness of the problems – lack of
education, health and social services for people have become Nigeria’s
problems. It is significant to note that in 1999, our nation was held
hostage to the declaration of Sharia in Zamfara State. Where are all the
Muslim leaders who, in 1999 proclaimed Sharia in all the core Muslim
states? Did you hear any single Muslim call for caution? At least, I can
speak for Kaduna State, where Governor Mohammed Makarfi stood out as
the only governor who said, no, we cannot do it this way and he shielded
his state from the excesses. That is what you call leadership. The poor
whom they deceived about the prospects of Sharia are now in Boko Haram.
Zamfara is now an inferno of violence. It is supposed to be the model
Islamic state. This is a telling lesson to us northerners and the rest
of Nigeria on the danger of playing with the fire of religion. See where
we are now. Does anyone have the honesty to answer the questions?
The
way the government is handling the Shiites is also another issue of
concern, as some even see it as a potential security issue. Do you see
merit in the argument by some people that government might be brewing
another crisis?
It is very interesting how this matter is being
handled. Again, I have always wondered what would have happened if what
happened in Zaria had been under a Christian President, governor or
Chief of Army Staff. Sadly, but luckily for us, the government of the
day would have been accused of a conspiracy to wipe out Islam by the
Muslims of Nigeria. Now, please recall that the Catholic Bishops of
Nigeria have been at the forefront of calling for the release of Ibrahim
El-Zakzaky (leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria) as a legal and
human rights issue. I believe that the Shiite problem is not so much a
problem of the government as a problem that calls for Islam to
internally interrogate itself and examine how it wishes to manage
identity, religious freedom and modernity. Boko Haram and the Shiites
are strands within Islam and yes, government can wage a war against
them, in the end, only the Muslims have to think out clearly how to
rescue and reign in these adherents. They have destroyed the values and
nobility of the religion because most ordinary people cannot make the
academic distinctions between the religion and the purveyors of
violence, especially if the leaders seem to hope that all will just pass
away or rely on the state.
The vice-presidential debate that
held recently was of interest to many. With what you saw at that
debate, did you see a ray of hope for Nigeria after the 2019 elections?
I
had already said in an interview that I was looking forward to
listening to both the Vice President (Prof Yemi Osinbajo) and Mr Peter
Obi and I believe that we were not disappointed. They signposted the
future, the possibility of a more analytical and intelligent elevation
of candidates for the Presidency and the challenge of whether they
understand where the world is going and how our problems might be
resolved.
You said some time ago that the office of the
President of Nigeria is the most powerful in the world and that it is
also the most irresponsible (as reported). And few weeks ago, the House
of Representatives started deliberations on the possibility of adopting
parliamentary system of government. Would you say that is a step in the
right direction?
What I said was that the office was powerful and
open to abuse because of the severely limited checks and balances and
the enormous powers available to the Nigerian President. The point I was
making was not in reference to any President but the fact that if
things remained the way they were, this office could be used
irresponsibly and I believe you know it has been. Else, how could you
hear of these humongous sums of stolen monies?
The refusal of
the President to sign the Electoral Bill has been generating reactions.
What is your stand on that issue and would you say there is more to our
elections than the issue of the Electoral Bill?
Frankly, I do
not know enough to make a useful comment. In the end, the man at the top
has a great influence on how we conduct our politics and here, in all
fairness, even President Muhammadu Buhari has admitted that President
Jonathan was exemplary. I hope that the President can rein in some of
his overambitious supporters, some of whom have tied their personal
ambitions and future to him, and this is where the danger is. Often,
greedy people do horrible things in the name of the man at the top.
The
Federal Government has said it will continue to make reference to what
it termed “16 years of misrule” by the PDP–led administrations. Do you
see merit in that position as people also argue that we can’t deal with
the present without analysing the past?
This is what Fela Kuti
would call ‘Shakara.’ How many of those in power today in the All
Progressives Congress were in power in these 16 years under the same
PDP?
You once made reference to your encounter with the late
President Umaru Yar’Adua, whom you said demonstrated the readiness to
learn from others. Would you say leaders in Nigeria are needlessly
arrogant, such that they can’t bend to learn from others?
Every
leader has people they listen to. In the end, they take full
responsibility. My worry is that very often, leaders who feel insecure
find comfort in the bosom of a few people who seize the initiative and
become their ears and eyes, seeing imaginary enemies and making them
inherit them. Again, in Nigeria, this insecurity of leaders has meant
that rather than reading a good book, they are busy with illiterate and
dubious prophets who serenade them with songs composed by the devil in
disguise. They never know until it is too late and they are too ashamed
to acknowledge it.
Some people would say that instead of
observing from a distance, being a part of the process could help. If
not for your priestly calling and duties, would you have considered
public office, even if it’s an appointment?
I have heard this
over and over but I just laugh. I am immensely grateful to the Catholic
Church because it gave me education. I thank my country because it has
given me a home. You may not believe me, but please trust me when I say I
am an average student. I believe that were I not a priest, most people
would have ignored my writings and comments. I believe that people
respect what I say and are generous to me because I am a priest. It is
not something I earned, it is God’s gratuitousness. It will be dishonest
of me to trade this gift for something as ephemeral as secular power.
In any case, will Senator Kukah have refused to take N13m pocket money?
Will Governor Kukah have refused to allocate security votes? Will
President Kukah leave the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation alone?
Will I govern from the sacristy? This work I am doing is hard and I am
only trying, let me keep trying. For if I am unfaithful in this one, I
cannot be faithful in the other. So, I will vote, but no, I cannot be
voted for. Never.
There are people who believe that prayers
answer all things and that if religious leaders had come together in
their respective faiths, to combat the insurgency and the other national
challenges with prayers, the problems would have been solved. Is that
true or is it a misplaced belief?
It is only in Nigeria that we
believe that prayers answer all things. God hears us but often His
answers are not our answers. We have been praying our way into becoming
one of the most corrupt societies in the world. That should worry you,
my dear brother.
The continuous detention of Leah Sharibu and
the remaining Chibok girls are still issues of concern. Is there
nothing the Christian community can do about this?
The Christian
community does not have an army or a security outfit of its own. She is a
citizen of Nigeria, not some imaginary kingdom. I can only place on
record my gratitude to The Nation Newspaper, which made her Person of
the Year. It is not an honour to be taken lightly. Her future is in
God’s hands and who knows, maybe God is preparing her for a greater
life. She is a Christian and we Christians should understand this. God
is preparing her for a central role in
Source:- Punchng
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