Nigerian Muslim Coalition Defends Catholic Bishop’s Truth To Power Critique

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A statement signed by the group’s National Coordinator, Prof. Mohammed Inuwa, noted that Buhari may have meant well for the country but faulted the President in some actions taken by his administration which it said was not promoting unity.

The Coalition said instead of vilifying the cleric, it would be to the President’s best interests to take Bishop’s message as a wake-up call to adjust for the good of Nigeria.

The Muslim coalition condemned in its entirety attacks trailing Kukah’s Christmas Day Message, where he bemoaned the state of the nation, warning that unless leaders sit up, Nigeria was heading towards a failed state.

Kukah had also accused President Buhari of piloting Nigeria into darkness in the message titled: “A Nation in Search of Vindication.”

He had emphasised the worsening state of insecurity in the country and berated the current federal administration of glaringly abandoning the nation’s extant federal character principles and rather promoting nepotism with impunity.

The development has been drawing criticisms from the President’s friends, political associates and the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.

However, the coalition commended Kukah for what they described as “his boldness to speak truth to power”, faulting those vilifying him.

The Nigerian Muslim Professionals took a swipe at those trolling the Bishop, saying they were doing it for their pecuniary gains and not the interest of the country.

It warned against twisting the message to mean the Bishop endorses coup, saying contrary to those promoting that insinuation, the revered Bishop was too learned to support such ignoble path to installing leadership, saying Nigerians with a conscience would not fall to the antics of those twisting the Bishop’s message for selfish reasons.

The group said having followed Bishop Kukah’s activities and preachings since the days of the military, it was convinced that not too many Nigerians took the interest of the country at heart like Bishop Kukah.

“Even during the military era where people dreaded the powers that be at the time, Bishop Kukah, who was then a Catholic priest spoke truth to those at the helm of affairs without fear or favour. He has shown through his actions all the years that he is a true son of Nigeria in particular and Africa in general,” the group stated.

“We should support him for being bold enough to come out to speak what many Nigerians know is the truth but afraid to speak out for fear of the leadership.

“While we must admit that President Muhammad Buhari means well for the nation, we must say that most people in his government are grossly incompetent and don’t deserve to stay around power even in an uncivilized space,” the group stated.

The group said it would not shy away from the truth even though most of the president’s actions drawing criticisms were in favour of its region.

It flayed the glaring marginalisation of the Igbos in every facet of national life, saying the development was not promoting national cohesion which nationalists that laid down their lives for the country’s independence wanted.

“There’s nothing wrong with Bishop Kukah’s statement in the actual sense. Some regions particularly the South East has been marginalized in successive governments, and the administration of President Muhammad Buhari came and amplified it with the worst,” it added.

It described those attacking Kukah as faceless individuals who were being promoted by selfish people in leadership to silence the truth.

” We strongly condemn the wrong approach taken to respond to a message by a patriotic Nigerian by these incompetent people working to derail the president’s agenda.

“It is completely wrong to be attacking Bishop Kukah by some faceless sponsored groups. Bishop Kukah did not in any way call for a coup, he is too learned to do that.

“We stand completely with Bishop Kukah, this government must be fair to all Nigerians irrespective of tribe and religion,” it said.

The Bishop of Sokoto Catholic Diocese, Matthew Hassan Kukah, has insisted that he has no interest in partisan politics.

He stated this during a media briefing with journalists at St Bakhita Secretariat in Sokoto State on Monday.

Kukah also denied calling for a coup in Nigeria and said different lies were being peddled about in his name.

The cleric has been in the news ever since he published a Christmas message last week, accusing President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration of nepotism.

Bishop Kukah used the opportunity to make it clear that he has no interest in politics.

“I have no plan and will never play partisan politics for any reason.

“Those who link my message to partisan politics are only playing to the gallery.

“Take, for instance, brilliant Nigerian youths making comments about Chelsea or Arsenal and have never been to England, does that make them players of such club sides?

Two Kidnap Gangs Turn The Gun On Each Other

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KDSG Security Update: Monday 28th December 2020

A notorious bandit Nasiru Kachalla, others killed as bandits battle each other.

Security agencies have confirmed to the Kaduna State Government the killing of a notorious bandit, Nasiru Kachalla.

Kachalla, who has been on the run for masterminding several criminal acts, including kidnappings, killings, cattle rustling and banditry, was killed in a clash between his gang and a rival group of bandits.

Human intelligence networks confirmed that criminals from the rival sides were also killed, including some of Kachalla’s lieutenants.

The clash occurred in a forest around the boundaries of Kajuru-Chikun local government areas of Kaduna Central Senatorial District. A dispute over a large herd of rustled cattle is said to have triggered the fatal confrontation.

Kachalla and his gang were involved in several crimes, including kidnappings, killings and banditry on the Kaduna-Abuja road and also in the Chikun/Kajuru general areas.

He was the mastermind of the 9th January 2020 kidnapping of seminarians of Good Shepherd Major Seminary, Kaduna, and the 24th January 2020 kidnapping of Mrs Bola Ataga and her two children.

The criminals later killed one of the seminarians, Michael Nnadi and Mrs. Ataga before releasing her children.

Kachalla’s criminal gang was also responsible for the kidnap of six students and two teachers of Engravers College, in Kakau village of Chikun local government on 3rd October 2019.

While Kachalla was being pursued, security agents arrested three members of his gang, Tukur Usman, Shehu Bello and Mustapha Mohammed in April 2020 as you can see in the attached picture.

Kachalla’s image is also attached, clad in a jacket and a winter cap.

In another development, troops repelled an attempted attack by armed bandits along the Galadimawa-Zaria road in Giwa local government area.

The bandits blocked the road for some minutes, shooting sporadically at motorists plying the route.

A combined team of the 4 Battalion and Field Engineers Regiment of the Nigerian army mobilized to the location. The road was cleared and normalcy was restored, with no kidnapping or harm to motorists.

Troops and police are currently dominating the area with patrols.

Furthermore, the government was informed of an incident in a forest located in the Western part of Chikun local government, where armed bandits opened fire on some hunters.

Security agencies are carrying out investigations to ascertain the exact location as well as fatalities if any. Citizens will be briefed on the operational feedback as it emerges.

In the meantime, Governor Nasir El-Rufai has appealed to Tsohon Gaya, Sabon Gaya and other communities with members missing in the hunting expedition to remain calm.

Signed

Samuel Aruwan
Commissioner, Internal Security and Home Affairs, Kaduna State.

In Defense Of Bishop Kukah’s State Of Nigeria Message At Christmas

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Closing our Eyes to the Evidence before us
Re: Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah’s 2020 Christmas Day Homily

As always, bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah has analyzed Nigeria’s current situation prophetically, intellectually and socially, and has presented the facts as they are based on the evidence before us. He has continually addressed those who wield the reins of power to rule with a bit of humanity and work for the collective good of Nigeria. His record of positive criticisms and suggesting ways to overcome Nigeria’s problems spans from the time of the military until now. History will vindicate him for confronting the evil of injustice in Nigeria even at the expense of his own safety. Speaking truth to power in Nigeria, no doubt, demands an uncommon courage, because it is dangerous to do so, and those in power often consider themselves to be beyond the arms of the law.

Bishop Kukah’s Christmas message titled, “A Nation in Search of Vindication,” accurately and without bias describes the current state of Nigeria: A journey without a feasible destination in sight. In the words of the bishop: “This government owes the nation an explanation as to where it is headed as we seem to journey into darkness.” The evidence before us suggests this same conclusion, for beside hunger and poverty, we live in one of the most unsecured countries in the world, as notable northern leaders, including the Sultan of Sokoto, have attested. When will all these end, given the fact that this government placed eradicating corruption and insecurity on the front burner of its campaign promises? When asked government’s timeframe for ending Nigeria’s security challenges about a week ago, the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, seems to have no clue. Against logic and international best practices, he simply told Nigerians to be patient with government until whenever that happens. His view that Nigerians, who die daily in the hands of armed herdsmen and terrorists, do the government no favour by being patient is perhaps the most uncritical and insensitive statement to ever come from a government spokesperson. Again, no explanation is offered, no realistic hope is given; patient must the people be. Mr. Adesina’s statement seems to reinforce the suspicion that this government is aloft from the challenges of Nigerians.

The reactions generated by Bishop Kukah’s Christmas message are to be expected. Those in government and their beneficiaries seem to have deliberately ignored the evidence presented by the bishop: Does the make up of Buhari’s cabinet and Service Chiefs not suggest a sinister agenda to promote a northern Muslim hegemony? Is the northern Nigeria not one of the most dangerous places to live in the world? Have security challenges not exacerbated since Buhari came into power? If all was well, why did the Northern Elders Forum call on Buhari to resign on the ground of poor performance earlier this month?

Sadly, those who criticized bishop Kukah’s message turn a blind eye to all this evidence and resorted to cheap appeal to emotion, misrepresenting the facts laid out and shameless name calling. None of the points raised by the bishop was attacked by any critical counter evidence. Among these critics, the Ministry of Information, Lai Mohammed, claimed it is graceless for bishop Kukah to fan the embers of hatred against Buhari’s government on Christmas Day. By accusing the bishop of suggesting a violent overthrow of Buhari’s government, Lai Mohammed not only ignored the evidence presented by bishop Kukah, but stooped so low to deliberately misrepresent bishop Kukah’s argument and falling into the fallacy of a straw man. Similarly, Professor Ishaq Akintola from the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), left the evidence provided by bishop Kukah and resorted to the old tactic of name calling, accusing him of hypocrisy. In a saner clime, arguments are attacked not personality. Our Professor preferred the latter and cheaper way, ignoring the facts of the argument. It is expected that a Professor that worth his salt would present counter evidence to disprove bishop Kukah, not trade insults.

Overall, the might of bishop Kukah’s evidence about the seeming sinister plot by this government to promote a northern Muslim agenda and its unfortunate backlashing consequences, are open for all to see. Clearly, to ignore these facts without providing strong evidence to support the contrary amounts to turning a blind eye to the evidence before us.

Joseph Mokwe

7 Ways To Stay Motivated

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Eric Jacobson On Management And Leadership

Tips, ideas and techniques for leaders and managers.

To learn how to stay motivated, read High-Profit Prospecting, by Mark Hunter. It’s a powerful read that includes counter intuitive advice and cutting-edge best practices for sales prospecting in today’s business world.Today, I share one of my favorite sections of the book where Hunter describes his seven things motivated people do to stay motivated:

  1. Motivated people ignore voices in their lives. These might be people in the office and friends who have bad attitudes. They’re out there, and if you’re not careful, they’ll control you, too.
  2. Motivated people associate with highly motivated people. Just as there are negative people in the world, there are also positive people. Your job is to make sure you spend as much time with the positive people as possible. 
  3. Motivated people simply look for the positive in things. Positive people count it an honor to live each day, learn from others, and impact positively those they meet. Positive people take great satisfaction in helping others achieve success.
  4. Motivated people don’t worry about what they can’t control, but are quick to accept control of their worlds. They don’t pass the buck to someone else, but are willing to be accountable in everything.
  5. Motivated people are continuously learning. The benefit of the learning they do each day is how they use it to improve themselves even more.
  6. Motivated people know there will be tough times, but they know tough times don’t last. They’re aware they need to stay focused on the solution, not the problem. Motivated people always view things in a longer time frame than negative people, who dwell on the negativity of the moment they’re in.
  7. Motivated people set goals and are focused on achieving them, and along the way they celebrate each positive step. The goals they set are designed to both motivate them and drive them to higher levels of success than others might achieve.