Reverend Matthew Kukah, Bishop of Sokoto Catholic Diocese and Founder of the Kukah Centre, visited President Bola Tinubu at the State House in Abuja.
The National Television Authority announced the visit on its official X handle on Wednesday, according to Vanguard.
After his meeting with President Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Bishop Kukah addressed State House Correspondents, emphasizing that one year is insufficient to pass judgment on the current administration.
“I’m sure that many people will tell you that one year is not enough to make a judgement. However, from where we all stand, we know that we are all in a very difficult situation,” said Kukah.
He acknowledged the administration’s efforts to tackle various challenges but stressed the need for clearer communication regarding when Nigerians can expect relief.
“Nigerians are in various levels of pain and they are pains that are unintended. But, they are as a result of certain policy decisions that hopefully, with time, can be amended in order to serve the welfare of ordinary people.”
Kukah underlined the government’s responsibility to ensure better living conditions and security for its citizens.
“I believe that the essence of government is to guarantee the welfare and security of ordinary citizens. I believe that the times that we are in are very very difficult times, and nobody should be under any illusion. But, there are also times for renewal. We just need to commit ourselves to the fact that building a good society takes a lot of time. It’s not something that is done in one lifetime.”
He also urged the government to improve its communication to help Nigerians understand the timeline for economic relief.
“My argument has always been that the government needs to very quickly improve the quality of communication so that Nigerians can at least get a sense of how long is it going to be before food is ready.”
On the political crisis in Rivers State, Bishop Kukah expressed optimism that Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, would resolve their issues.
“This is politics. I’m very hopeful, we ordinary people cry more than the bereaved. The important thing is that politicians will fix their problems. Rivers State is a place that is very dear to me because I have been associating with them for a very long time. But, look, when politicians fight, don’t get carried away because they have their capacity to fix their quarrels. I hope and pray that Rivers State will sooner than later reposition itself because it is not an insignificant part of Nigeria,” he stated.
