You’re leaving Nigerians far worse than you met them, Kukah tells Buhari

The Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Matthew Hassan-Kukah has said President Muhammadu Buhari betrayed the trust of many Nigerians who had high hopes and expectations for his presidency.

Kukah said Buhari dashed the hopes of many Nigerians as he is leaving them “far more vulnerable” than when he assumed office on May 29, 2015.

The septuagenarian preacher bared his mind in his 2022 Christmas Message titled, ‘Nigeria: Let Us Turn A New Page’.

The outspoken cleric also said he has no doubt that the health of the President had improved in the last seven-and-a-half years but wished millions of Nigerians enjoy a fraction of Buhari’s enhanced health through access to better healthcare services in the country.

“Mr. President Sir, a merry Christmas to you and your entire family. I speak for myself and Nigerians when I say, we thank God that He mercifully restored you to good health. We know that you are healthier now than you were before. We can see it in the spring in your steps, the thousands of miles you have continued to cover as you travel abroad. May God give you more years of good health.

“However, I also wish that millions of our citizens had a chance to enjoy just a fraction of your own health by a measurable improvement in the quality of health care in our country.

“It is sad that despite your lofty promises, you are leaving us far more vulnerable than when you came, that the corruption we thought would be fought has become a leviathan and sadly, a consequence of a government marked by nepotism.

“In my Christmas Message last year, I pointed out the fact that you had breached the Constitution by your failure to honour and adhere to the federal character provisions of our Constitution. The evidence is all before us all,” Kukah said.

He, however, commended the President for the efforts made in the area of infrastructure and in seeking to end malfeasance in the electoral processes. “Am I to believe that you knew and could do nothing about the Muslim-Muslim ticket within your Party?” Kukah quickly interjected. “Still, we pray for a free, fair and credible election.”