Bishop Kukah says that Northern Nigeria must drastically change.

Bishop Matthew Kukah

The Bishop of Sokoto Diocese of the Catholic Church,  Mathew Kukah has said that Northern Nigeria must drastically change.

Bishop Kukah stated this on Thursday, while speaking at a colloquium organised by the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) in Abuja.

The cleric also described Abdulaziz Yari, governor of Zamfara State, as a “diaspora governor”.

Yari has been accused of abandoning his state for the nation’s capital.

Responding to an issue raised by Aisha Yesufu, an activist, Kukah said: “You talk about the governor relinquishing his position. That is a governor in diaspora. I am opposed to state police. Can a Christian join Hisbah (sharia police). Northern Nigeria has to drastically change.”

Yesufu had commented about the decision of Yari to resign as Chief Security Officer (CSO) of the state.

he Bishop added that one of the greatest tragedies of the country was leadership.

“One of the greatest tragedy has been, we call it leadership, where it is even more disastrous because all the leaders – I call them office holders hardly qualify in every sense of the word. You can’t be a leader without the text, you can’t be a leader without a philosophy.

“People followed Sardauna for a reason, they followed Aminu Kano for a reason. This is the only country that from independence till date we have not had anybody with clear evidence that they sat down, thought through, analysed the problems of Nigeria and put themselves forward to solve the problems of Nigeria.

“From Tafawa Balewa right through Shehu Shagari to Buhari. Every officer holder as president have come reluctant,” Kukah added.