Kukah knocks Buhari
The Story
The outspoken Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Kukah, decried the reality of Nigeria under president Mohamadu Buhari, and said that the president has destroyed every aspect of life in the country.
Did he say that?
Absolutely. Kukah stated this during his Easter sermon on Sunday, in which he described Nigeria as “one big emergency national hospital with full occupancy”, no thanks to Buhari’s maladministration. Kukah’s sermon followed a week of carnage during which more than 200 Nigerians were killed by violent criminals and comes after president Buhari pardoned convicted ex-governors Joshua Dariye (Plateau state) and Jolly Nyame (Taraba state).
Why did Buhari pardon them?
With several years still to be served in their jail terms, Dariye and Nyame were pardoned by Buhari on health and age grounds. While condemning Buhari for allowing corruption to thrive, Kukah said “the greatest challenge now is how to begin a process of reconstructing our nation, hoping that we can hang on and survive the 2023 elections”.
The National Council of State, in a meeting, presided over by President Buhari, pardoned 159 prisoners including Dariye and Nyame. The 1999 constitution (as amended) grants the president the power to grant state pardon under the prerogative of mercy. The pardon has, however, been widely condemned by Nigerians who criticized Buhari for encouraging corruption while laying a false claim to integrity.
