Society

On Monday, October 31st, Bishop of Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Most Rev. Matthew Hassan Kukah visited Femi Fani-Kayode, Reuben Abati, Obanikoro at the headquarters of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Abuja.

Femi Fani-Kayode; former Minister of Aviation, the former junior Minister of Defence Musiliu Obanikoro and Reuben Abati, a former Presidential Spokesperson to Goodluck Jonathan are currently being held by the EFCC on charges relating to the former administration and the 2015 general election. 

The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Most Rev. Mathew Kukah cautioned members of the National Assembly against making laws that could disunite Nigeria and also any group or person not satisfied with the present composition of Nigeria can leave the country.

Bishop Kukah said this at the 11th Anniversary of Kpakpando Foundation for Physically Challenged Persons and the 50th birthday ceremony of its founder, Senator Osita Izunaso in Abuja.

At the Funeral Mass in honour of the late Vicar General of Abuja Catholic Archdiocese, Rev. Fr. Willy Ojukwu on Friday, Bishop Matthew H Kukah urged Christians to continue to pray for their pastors for the grace to fulfill their vocational call.

The Funeral Mass was presided over by John Cardinal Onaiyekan, the Archbishop of Abuja Archdiocese in Our Lady Queen of Nigeria Pro-Cathedral, Abuja. No fewer than 200 priests and five bishops attended the mass.

The Supreme Pontiff, Pope Francis 1, represented by Rev. Fr. George Ajana, President of Pontifical Mission Societies (Nigeria) during this year’s World Mission Sunday, at Our Lady Queen of Nigeria Pro-Cathedral, Area 3, Abuja has said the 21 Chibok girls released from Sambisa forest need psychological evaluation conducted by experts.

Pope Francis who urged the Federal Government of Nigeria to provide psychological rehabilitation for the girls, being part of the 40 girls rescued, so far in his address said:

At a joint press briefing to conclude the Conference of World Religious Leaders in Abuja, Bishop Mathew Kukah said that Africa is currently facing two extremely difficult situations, which are the issues of extreme hunger and the genuine hunger arising from the failure of government and governance across the continent, thereby making Africa vulnerable and creating a very combustible environment. He argued that a lot of the problems people are facing, which have nothing to do with religion, are being baptized as religion.

Barely a week after his conferment as Peace Ambassador for Ooni of Ife's new initiative called "Violence Free World", Tubaba Idibia leads his team to a Peace Campaign in Sokoto State, North-western Nigeria.

Just as Nigerians were beginning to see the tide start to turn against Boko Haram militants, a relatively new menace has arisen. Nigeria now has to grapple with the increase in violent clashes blamed on Fulani herdsmen. Communities in Nigeria, particularly those in the North Central and Southern states of Nigeria are coming under constant attacks.

For Bishop Matthew Kukah, persecution is not just the history of the Church. It’s a reality that he lives every day.

In the diocese of Sokoto, located in northern Nigeria, ministry includes not only the normal sacramental and pastoral concerns of any other diocese. It also includes regularly responding to violence and attacks against the small Christian minority living in the majority-Muslim area.

Christians living in northern Nigeria today wonder “why have they and their institutions become target practice,” Bishop Kukah told CNA.

Christians have been challenged to live up to their faith and not allow secular trends douse their commitment to God. This submission was made by the Catholic Archbishop of Calabar, Most Rev. Dr. Joseph Ekuwem at St. George’s Catholic Church, Gliwice-Labedy, when the Parish played host to some Nigerian contingents who participated in the 2016 World Youth Day held in Poland from July 25 - 31, 2016.

The Kukah Centre with the support of the Ford Foundation last Wednesday, 10th August 2016 held the Second Edition of “The Podium”, a forum where important issues of governance in Nigeria are discussed.

“The Podium” which is a key component of the fix Nigeria Initiative and a signature project of the Kukah Centre, strives to provide a platform of engagement between public officials and the citizens of Nigeria.