CAN, Others Slam Governor Bello Over Looters’ Tithes Comment
Kogi state Governor, Yahaya Bello, has come under heavy fire from Christian leaders comprising, the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, and Roman Catholic Bishops, for his comments following a visit of the bishops to President Muhammadu Buhari in Aso Rock.
According to the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Kukah, the statement was uncalled for.
He said, “Frankly, people of his calibre do not deserve our response. It is also a measure of the kind of people who have strayed into power.
“I am not going to go into any details. It is a tragedy of what we call leadership now in Nigeria. People who have come with no antecedents; they just come out of the woodworks and occupy an office. And so, I won’t dignify him (Bello) with any response.”
The Archdiocese Emeritus, Catholic Archdiocese of Ibadan, Alaba Job said Bello’s statement was out of context and the governor did not have a clue about what the bishops told President Buhari.
“I am sorry that the governor made that statement. Who are the people stealing for us? What he said is different from what we discussed with Buhari. Killings, kidnappings, and other forms of evil (practices) are around us. Boko Haram has, to some extent, been suppressed but we now have so many atrocities.
“We did not discuss any issue about money to the church. It is a great pity if a governor made that statement. As far back as 1994, Catholic Church bishops constituted a prayer group that has been praying against corruption in Nigeria.
“The governor’s statement does not ‘belong’ to us, not to the Catholic Church bishops in Nigeria. He should read the statement issued at the meeting and compare it to his own statement. It is out of context.”
On CAN’s part, the media aide to its president Pastor Bayo Oladeji said while Governor Bello had the right to express himself, he was out of line with his comments.
He added that the governor should mind the negative happenings in his state were civil servants are having a hard time surviving harsh economic conditions.
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