Kukah blames FG for stampedes, cites ‘failure to tackle hunger’

Mathew Kukah, Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, says the stampedes at palliative distribution centres reflect “desperation” among Nigerians.

Last week, more than 67 persons died during palliative distribution in Oyo, Anambra and FCT.

In his Christmas message on Wednesday, Kukah said the incidents could have been avoided if the government had addressed the economic hardship faced by Nigerians. 

“The tragedies that occurred in Okija, Ibadan, and Abuja where innocent people lost their lives in stampedes at food distribution points are a metaphor for the situation of desperation that citizens have been thrown into,” Kukah said.

“The failures of government to respond concretely toward ending the horrible crisis of hunger and desperation has created the conditions for these avoidable tragedies.

“Citizens are lapsing into despair. The Catholic Church is not new to providing succour for the needy and vulnerable.

“Government needs to work more closely with institutions that help to promote the common good of our society.”

The cleric said the high costs of running for public office remained a significant barrier to youth participation in politics.

While commending the federal government’s educational loan schemes, Kukah said the programme should also be extended to those pursuing vocational or technical skills.

“Our journey to greatness is still severely constrained by the forces of ethnicity, nepotism, and greed. There is still the lingering anxiety that ethnicity and religion trump common citizenship in terms of access to opportunities” he added.

“In 2018, the passage of the Not Too Young to Run Bill was widely greeted by young people who believed that the doors had now opened for their active engagement in politics. After a few elections, many young people have been elected at various levels. This is commendable.

“However, problems of internal democracy, the costs of running for public office, still remain major obstacles for youth participation in politics.

“Insecurity is the first child of corruption. We cannot win the war against insecurity without addressing the issues of unemployment and violent religious extremism which create the conditions for violence.”