Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina has said that the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Most Rev. Matthew Kukah is too partisan, adding that the cleric’s opinions on national issues are coloured by politics.
Adesina also aligned with a remark by a political commentator that Kukah “puts off his cassock and becomes a full-time politician”.
The presidential aide said this as a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday.
He was reacting to Kukah’s Easter message about the outgoing Muhammadu Buhari administration.
The Catholic cleric said he wondered whether President Buhari would feel fulfilled about his “tall dreams of ending banditry and defeating corruption”, a comment which suggests that the president has failed in those regards.
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“As you prepare to return to Daura or Kaduna, I do not know if you feel fulfilled or that you met the tall dreams and goals you set for yourself such as: ending banditry, defeating corruption, bringing back our girls, belonging to everybody and belonging to nobody, selling off our presidential fleet and traveling with us,” Kukah said.
Reacting, Adesina said that Buhari has performed creditably in terms of security, maintaining that death toll from insecurity has reduced drastically under the incumbent government.
“The figure has been coming down progressively over the years and it’s a fact of history. Nobody can change it.”
“Someone has said it is even better he (Kukah) puts off his cassock and becomes a full-time politician.
“He (Kukah) is rather too partisan. He is someone we had always admired for his intellectual bent.
“But his opinion has been coloured by politics. He talked about selling the presidential fleet. Was that ever promised? In 2015, there were a rash of promises made that even the candidate then did not know about.
“The question is – are we where we were on the issue of banditry in 2015? The job is not fully done but are we where we were?
“If Kukah is true to himself and true to his calling as a cleric he will know that this country is nowhere like it was in terms of banditry as of 2015,” the presidential aide said.
Adesina reiterated that Nigeria has made appreciable progress under Buhari.
“In 2015, we knew where Nigeria was. A minimum of 17 LGAs in this country was under the control of insurgents.
“Talking about control, I mean they were sitting in emirs’ palaces and seats of LGA chairmen. NYSC could not do orientation and post people to those places. Is that what is happening today? No!
“Emirs are back in their palaces. LGA chairmen are back in their offices.
“NYSC orientations are happening in those states and corps members are being posted to those states. Are you now telling me there have been no improvements?” Adesina stated.
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