The Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Matthew Kukah says Nigeria witnessed the ugliest phase of corruption under former president Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
He said this while delivering a keynote speech at the 60th call to bar anniversary celebration of legal icon, Aare Afe Babalola, in Ado Ekiti, the capital of Ekiti State on Monday.
Bishop Kukah noted that even though corruption did not start under the last administration, they amplified it in moral, financial and other terms.
“We have seen the worst phase of corruption in Nigeria, Femi Falana, my friend here will speak about that because he has published a series of articles talking about what happened under the Buhari administration.
“They were not the ones who caused corruption but I think in the last administration, we saw the ugliest phase of corruption whether in moral terms, financial terms and other terms,” Kukah said.
The clergyman lamented that Nigeria is sharing its sovereignty which is guaranteed in the constitution with bandits and other terrorists.
He said that nobody is excited now about being a Nigerian even if they are President or Senators, as the country is literally being held hostage by people who threaten the very existence of our democracy and country.
Kukah noted that a lot of Nigerians have lost faith in the judiciary but added that he considers the judiciary a victim the same way every other institution in Nigeria is suffering a crisis.
According to him, Nigeria should not yet assume that it is a democracy but instead assume that it is matching towards democracy, which means rebuilding Nigeria “after the kind of mess the last administration has left the country.”
The Bishop said it is time to rebuild the country, adding that no matter what happens at the Supreme Court concerning the election, he is convinced that Nigerians have put the “ugly past” behind them.
The event celebrating 60 years at the bar of the founder of the Afe Babalola University Ado Ekiti, attracted a host of dignitaries including former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Femi Falana, SAN, former Commonwealth Secretary-General Emeka Anyaoku among others.
