Bishop Kukah: 'Nigeria treading a dangerous path...youths feeling disempowered'

Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Most Rev. Matthew Kukah says Nigeria is treading a dangerous path because the nation’s youths feel disempowered.

He noted that the nation faces prospects of an uncertain future that even the nation’s worst enemies could not have envisaged.

The popular cleric spoke Wednesday at an event organised by The Kukah Centre and Open Society Initiative For West Africa (OSIWA).

“This is a dangerous path we are treading. Our young people are feeling disempowered. We are faced with a nation that is consuming its own children; we are faced with the prospects of an uncertain future. It is impossible, even the worst enemy of Nigeria would never have contemplated that this is where we will be,” Kukah said.

He said that 2023 would be another opportunity for Nigerians to reflect on the mistakes they have made with a view to correcting them.

“Democracy is not an exercise undertaken by good men and women which is what Nigerians have always fallen victim to – that we are looking for holy men, men of integrity, men of dignity to govern us and we assume that managing a diverse Nigeria does not require some level of deep intellectual reflection and understanding on the complexity in managing a society so energetic.

“In 1998, I tried to write an article on civil society out of curiosity, that article turned into a book ‘Democracy and Civil Society in Nigeria’ and a lot of people commended the book – it is no longer in circulation. One of the things I concluded was that democracy and dictatorship cannot co-exist, one has to cancel out the other.

“The tragedy that has now afflicted our country is no excuse for us to become despondent, 2023 whether it happens or whatever the case may be, we prayerfully hope it happens, it gives us another opportunity to think of the mistake we made.

“Using the agents of state, those in power have also sought to close the (civic) space. Democracy is a work in progress, all of us engaged in Democracy and opening up the civic space must realize that it is a long journey.”