Worst period over, let’s unite – Kukah tells Nigerians
The Catholic Bishop of the Sokoto Diocese, Hassan Kukah, says the worst period in the country’s history is over and urged citizens to be more united.
Kukah made the call on Tuesday in Abuja at the public presentation of a book titled, “Judicial Terrorism” – ‘A Macabre Trial and Death Sentences on Some Atvap (Kataf) People’.
The book was written in honour of retired Maj.-Gen. Zamani Lekwot, by Richard Akinnola.
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He said that many issues arose in the country because many citizens do not understand what it means to be without a nation.
He urged citizens to look at places like Gaza and Lebanon and to stop turning against one another.
Kukah said: “We might assume, and I think we are going to assume, that the worst times in our history are over.
“But let us remain eternally together because what we have and what we hold is a treasure.
“This is a heck of a country, and it is a great country and people have laid down their lives for this country.
“I used to say to Nigerians, you know, we are just joking, because we don’t know what it is to be without a country.
“What did the people of Gaza do? What did the people of Lebanon do? What did the people of Valencia do?
“We are hearing stories of earthquakes and incredible things happening that are sweeping the lives of hundreds of thousands of people on a daily basis.
“But in Nigeria, it is us who are collectively turning the knife on ourselves. So I think that going forward, the most important thing for you as a Christian is to develop the spirit of forgiveness, and that nothing will happen that is outside the boundary of the divine will of God,” he said.
Falana
The book reviewer and human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, described the book as a widely-searched resource book that would enrich discourse of judicial integrity and perfidy.
Falana said the book came at the right time, when there is ongoing public perception of students, youths, being associated by political influences, a worrisome phenomenon that needs to be urgently addressed.
“I want to join Bishop Matthew Kukah again in congratulating the author for documenting this judicial perfection.
“It is a herculean task.
“Just this morning before this programme commenced, I was in the courts in Abuja, here, where 119 Nigerians, including 29 minors, were brought to court.
“But the government was so ashamed that we couldn’t take them to the courtroom unlike last week,” he said.
Gen. Lekwot
On his part, retired Gen. Lekwot, recounted that his trial on the Zango Kataf crisis of 1992, was a charade without substance, noting that the Attorney General of the Federation applied a no-truth key and discharged and acquitted him and others.
He described the case as a travesty of justice in a country that was supposed to be the hope of the black race.
The former Commandant of Nigerian Defence Academy, NDA, expressed delight that the book compiled all the documents in respect of this mock trial for future generations to assimilate.
“For me, as a senior officer, all the service officers in service should also learn something from what has happened.
“A country we are committed to serve, instead of giving us our respect as senior citizens, we were singled out for this kind of treatment. Well, the rest is history.
“A series of newspapers in Victoria implicating the Makaba trial, where chapter seven, the last chapter, contained the decision of the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights, nullifying the trial,” he said.
The Chairman of the occasion and former Chairman of National Human Rights Commission, Prof Chidi Odinkalu, lamented that after 32 years of civil rule, the country’s judicial system still had military parasites in its blood and system.
Odinkalu, who was represented by Owei Lakemfa, accused the successive administrations of attempting to control the judiciary, adding that a former Chief Justice of Nigeria as removed under false pretense.
In his comments, former Chief of Defence Staff, retired Gen. Lucky Irabor, said the military should not be painted in the negative because few personnel that misused their powers.
According to Irabor, in the military, no one is taught how to plot a coup or abuse power.
“When you talk about military terrorism, the connotation to the public is that the military, as we have it in the Nigerian military, is capable of engaging in ignoble acts.
“There are people, including civilians, who misuse power.
“So when power is misused, it does not imply, just like we also have in the judiciary, it is not the broad brush of the judiciary that should be painted in the negative.
“Rather, it should be that individuals within the judiciary must be pointed out, in the hope that it will address issues that have to do with the judiciary and justice service.
“There is nowhere in our training, in our curriculum, that you will be taught how to conduct coups, no or how to misuse power. It does not exist,” he said.
The governor of Kaduna State was represented by his Deputy, Dr Hadiza Balarabe, who commended the author for the well researched book.
