Right Reverend Matthew Kukah, the Bishop of Sokoto Catholic Diocese and Founder of the Kukah Centre, has asserted that assessing President Bola Tinubu’s government after just one year is premature.
However, he emphasized the urgent need for the government to communicate its strategy for addressing the current socio-economic challenges facing Nigeria.
Speaking to State House Correspondents following a meeting with President Tinubu at the Presidential Villa Abuja, Bishop Kukah discussed an upcoming event organized by the Kukah Centre focused on national cohesion.
While acknowledging the efforts of the administration in tackling various challenges, Bishop Kukah emphasized the importance of Nigerians understanding when they can expect relief from their current struggles.
He emphasized that Nigerians are experiencing varying degrees of hardship and pain, underscoring the urgency for effective communication from the government regarding its plans and timelines for addressing these issues.
He said, “I’m sure that many people will tell you that one year is not enough to make a judgment. However, from where we all stand, we know that we are all in a very difficult situation.
“Nigerians are in various levels of pain and they are pains that are unintended. But, they are as a result of certain policy decisions that hopefully, with time, can be amended in order to serve the welfare of ordinary people,” Bishop Kukah explained.
According to Kukah, it is the government’s responsibility to better the living conditions and security of Nigerians.
He went further to say, “I believe that the essence of government is to guarantee the welfare and security of ordinary citizens. I believe that the times that we are in are very very difficult times, and nobody should be under any illusion.
“But, there are also times for renewal. We just need to commit ourselves to the fact that building a good society takes a lot of time. It’s not something that is done in one lifetime. And for me, the most important thing is for us to continue on the building blocks of the things that we think are being done well.
“My argument has always been that the government needs to very quickly improve the quality of communication so that Nigerians can at least get a sense of how long is it going to be before food is ready.”
Speaking on the political upheaval in River State, Bishop Kukah expressed confidence that Governor Fubara and Minister Wike will resolve their issues amid the ongoing crisis in Rivers State.
He noted that while the ordinary citizens are concerned about the situation, politicians typically find ways to resolve their differences amongst themselves.
“This is politics. I’m very hopeful, we ordinary people cry more than the bereaved. The important thing is that politicians will fix their problems.
“Rivers State is a place that is very dear to me because I have been associating with them for a very long time. But, look, when politicians fight, don’t get carried away because they have their capacity to fix their quarrels. I hope and pray that Rivers State will sooner than later reposition itself because it is not an insignificant part of Nigeria,” he said.
The Bishop’s remarks highlight the nuanced perspective on evaluating governance and the imperative of transparent communication between the government and the populace amidst ongoing socioeconomic challenges.