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Tinubu yet to show how to end suffering of Nigerians – Kukah
President Bola Tinubu is yet to show Nigerians any concrete plan to end the current suffering in the land, Mathew Kukah, Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, said on Monday, as he weighed into the current dire stress Nigerians have been living, six months after the President took power on May 29, 2023.
It was also on the same day the fiery priest, who is also one of the conveners of the National Peace Committee, committed to enjoining politicians in the country to play by the rules and conduct peaceful elections, expressed shock over the sudden change in the attitude of supporters of former President, Muhammadu Buhari.
Kukah, who appeared as a guest of The Morning Show, a breakfast programme on Arise Television on Wednesday, though did not name names, said he was completely shocked to hear what former President Muhammadu Buhari’s ministers were saying about him and his government.
Assessing Tinubu’s performance in office, he said while the period might be too short to rate a sitting president, many expected him to hit the ground running, having prepared for the race for over 20 years, insisting that the President’s leadership selection structure was suspect.
“His leadership selection process is so self-constraining. I am not making excuse for anybody, I am just saying the very fact that you had to rely on governors to give you names of Ministers and you rely on external agencies to be able to do things that ordinarily you who is composing the team needs to be able to do.
“I mean a coach decides who is going to come in at what time depending on the excuse that the person has. So, I totally agree with you that by now you would have thought, ‘okay, this is what we want to do, this is who can do it and this is how it needs to be done.
“The best solution is to continue to hold those in power responsible and they have no excuse not to perform. If you stand up to be elected and you are elected, you must be prepared to face the consequences of that election, that means we must constantly hold your feet to the fire. So that’s why I am saying institutions and instruments of engagement must be in full glass. But also we must help to clarify public policies by articulating the things that need to be done and where the country needs to be heading,” he added.
Maintaining that he had never harboured any personal animosity against the former President despite his hard-hitting criticisms, he said: “There was nothing I said about President Buhari that was personal, that was disrespectful, I just felt he was doing things, that is, especially in the area of managing our diversity and look;
“I’m talking to ministers now who served in that government; I cannot call names. I am shocked to hear the kind of things people are saying about those who served in that government; that is for another day.
“The only I had with Buhari was about his inability to manage the country’s diversity. He made Nigeria more vulnerable and succeeded in splitting the country. Buhari has served his term. He also knew, and I respect him for that, that there was nothing I was saying that was personal. I imagined poor Adesina (Femi) and his team had a job to do and they needed to do that job even though there was nothing to say.
“I will respect and I hope that Pastor Adesina knows that there is a Foursquare Gospel Church in Daura, I believe that the President of Foursquare Gospel Church should send him there as a Pastor so that he is quite close to his Godfather. But having said that, I mean President Buhari had finished his term and he is gone and there is very little else to be said for and against. But everybody knew we had a job to do.”
In a quick riposte on Saturday, Dave Umahi, Minister of Works, has cautioned Nigerians to be circumspect in the manner they react to the story of the death of a female student in his home in Ebonyi State, warning against the temptation of jumping to conclusion.
Conveying his position on the highly-volatile matter through Francis Nwaze, his spokesman, Umahi, former Governor of Ebonyi State and a key figure in the government of President Bola Tinubu, said caution was needed to enable the police conduct unfettered investigation into the matter.
It was his response to breaking of how one Mary Habila, a female physiotherapist reportedly died in his palatial home at Uburu, Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, on June 27, hours after arriving the day before.
Nwaze, a Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, specifically cautioned against speculations by “tale bearers,” while conveying the Minister’s shock over the matter and his eagerness for the authorities to get at the root of the matter through forensic investigations.
He wrote in the statement: “The attention of the Media Office of the Honourable Minister of Works, Senator Engr. David Nweze Umahi, has been drawn to a publication by a publication concerning the unfortunate passing of Miss Mary Habila in Uburu, Ebonyi State, alleging that the circumstances surrounding her death were shrouded in secrecy.
“The Honourable Minister received the news with profound shock and sadness and has since extended his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family. For the avoidance of doubt, immediately the unfortunate incident occurred, appropriate emergency steps were taken. Medical personnel, including the Chief Medical Director of the David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences, Uburu, were contacted without delay, while the Nigeria Police was promptly notified in accordance with the law.
“Following confirmation of Miss Habila’s passing, the Honourable Minister personally received her parents, conveyed his sincere condolences, and advised that an autopsy be conducted to scientifically establish the exact cause of death. At the time, however, the family declined the recommendation.
“It is important to clarify that Miss Mary Habila and Miss Anita Baski are employees of the David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences, Uburu, who had been on secondment to the Federal Ministry of Works as physiotherapists for the past three years until the unfortunate passing of Miss Habila.
“Following the recent developments and in the interest of ensuring that the truth is established beyond doubt, the Honourable Minister has again reiterated his position that an autopsy must be conducted. He remains convinced that this is the most credible and responsible path to resolving all questions surrounding the unfortunate incident.
“We therefore urge the public to exercise restraint, refrain from speculation or premature conclusions, and allow the relevant authorities to carry out their responsibilities without interference. At this difficult time, our thoughts and prayers remain with the family of the deceased, and we pray that God grants them the strength to bear this irreparable loss.”
The circumstances that led to the sudden death of Mary Habbila, a Nigerian female student died in the Uburu, Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, home of Dave Umahi, Minister of Works, has now thrown the entire household and environs into serious quandary.
SaharaReporters, which first broke the revealed that the incident, which happened since June 27 this year, has been shrouded in secrecy, with both the Ebonyi State Government and the state police command maintaining silence over the matter.
The incident, the report, added, took place barely a day after Habbila and another woman, Anita Baski, both from Kaduna State, were reportedly brought to the minister’s residence, triggering a police investigation, with the case transferred from the Ohaozara Divisional Police Headquarters to the Ebonyi State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Abakaliki.
Habbila and Baski reportedly arrived at the minister’s residence on June 26 to “attend” to him, only for Habbila to be found dead inside the residence the following morning under circumstances investigators are still trying to establish.
Police sources were quoted by the paper as saying that Jonathan Bawado, a police officer who serves as Senator Umahi’s Personal Assistant and previously worked as his Aide-de-Camp (ADC) during his tenure as Governor of Ebonyi State, alerted medical personnel after Habbila was discovered unresponsive.
Subsequently, a doctor and an ambulance were dispatched to the residence, while Tobechukwu Godwin, Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Ohaozara Police Division, was notified of the incident, the report said, adding that at the hospital Chihurumnanya Alo, a Professor and Consultant Public Health Physician, Infectious Diseases Specialist and Chief Medical Director of the David Umahi Federal University Teaching Hospital (DUFUTH), Uburu, was also alerted about the incident.
The police who subsequently conveyed Habbila’s body to a mortuary, were said to have handed over the identification tag attached to Habbila’s to the Ebonyi State Police Command by the said DPO, as part of the ongoing investigation.
SaharaReporters, quoted a senior police officer, with knowledge of the case as saying: “The case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Abakaliki,” but, however declined to provide further details, citing the ongoing investigation.
Unlike in other cases, security operatives in Nigeria have upped the ante by adding the arrest of perpetrators to the menu of rescue operations, with the announcement of the capture of eight terrorists who participated in the abduction of school teachers and students in Oyo State on May 15.
All the 46 pupils, students and teachers abducted by terrorists from three schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, regained their freedom on Friday, after about 56 days in captivity, with several others reportedly also neutralised during the operation.
Giving a clue of what transpired during the operation, Bayo Onanuga, who broke the story of the feat, said it was the outcome of sustained security operations, which also foiled the attempt by the abductors to secure the release of one of their captured leaders.
Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, using his X handle to give details about the operation, said: “Finally, all the kidnapped pupils and teachers in Orire, Oyo have been rescued by our security agencies. In the course of the rescue operation, eight of the kidnappers were arrested and are now in DSS custody, while some of them were neutralised.”
“There was no quid pro quo in the rescue as one of the terrorists, a kingpin, that the kidnappers demanded his release, is being prosecuted for his atrocities. The security agencies will give full account soon.”
The victims were abducted on May 15 when heavily armed bandits attacked Community Grammar School, Baptist Nursery and Primary School, and L.A. Primary School in the Esiele and Yawota communities of Oriire Local Government Area, seizing dozens of pupils, students and teachers.
The abduction sparked nationwide outrage, with parents, labour unions, traditional rulers and civil society groups mounting sustained pressure on the authorities to secure the victims’ release.
The incident also triggered an indefinite strike by the Nigeria Union of Teachers in Oyo State over growing insecurity in schools.
President Bola Tinubu had condemned the attack and ordered security agencies to intensify intelligence-led operations to rescue the captives and bring the perpetrators to justice.
The President subsequently dispatched a high-powered Federal Government delegation to the affected communities, approved the deployment of specialised rescue assets and authorised the recruitment of 1,000 forest guards to strengthen security across Oyo State.
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