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PEOPLE AND POLITICS BY MOHAMMED HARUNA Reactions to the trilogy about the controversy on Buhari’s war against corruption As I promised last week, I am dedicating this week’s column to the reactions to my trilogy of sorts on the controversy stirred by the attacks on President Muhammadu Buhari’s declared war on corruption, notably the attacks from Bishop Mathew Hassan Kukah and Professor Ben Nwabueze. The first piece of August 19 which was the prelude to the subject, elicited 24 texts. The second of August 26 about Bishop Kukah elicited 84 texts and four emails. The third last week about Prof. Nwabueze elicited 31 texts and three emails. Here’s my selection of the reactions. On the prelude Sir, For once you wrote an article which is unbiased. The war against corruption by President Muhammadu Buhari (PMB) must go on irrespective of who is involved. Forget about Prof. Nwabueze and his likes. Our PMB has our support. ********** Sir, You are an ethnic and religious jingoist, in addition to being an attention seeker and a fool. ********** Sir, Corruption is a cancer that is eating up the soul of our country, and any fight against it should be encouraged. But let this fight be holistic starting from 1999 till date. Any Hausa, Igbo or Yoruba thief should face the full weight of the law. We want an all inclusive war. Patrick, Abuja. ********** Sir, Prof. Ben Nwabueze was a minister of education under President Ibrahim Babangida, not Gen. Sani Abacha. He served as minister while Malam Bello Dogondaji (Santurakin Sakkwato) was his minister of state. Nurudeen Tambaya, ********** On Kukah Sir, I don’t blame you, you are a Muslim. Look at you talking about an anointed man of God. But one thing is certain; if there was no Jonathan as president, there would not have been civilian Buhari president. Jonathan is the father of a new Nigeria, period. Jose Mou, Aba. ********** Sir, Your piece made interesting reading. I want to observe, however, that contrary to expressed views in the media, Father Hassan Kukah still stands tall as an advocate of truth and a true friend of former Presidents Obasanjo and Goodluck. By his calling as a priest he will never support the perpetuation of corruption in the polity let alone attack Buhari’s anti-corruption drive as insinuated by many. Malbang, J.B. ********** Sir, Re -Attacks on Buhari's war on corruption - The case of Kukah. I wish to state categorically that the war on corruption is a collective war by majority of Nigerians. As far as we are concerned, whoever is against this war is an enemy of the masses, be you a Pastor, Bishop, an Imam, Emir, Oba, Obi, whatever. Nobody will deceive us with ethnic, religious or political colouration. As for me, I have stopped reading some newspapers or listening to some radio or TV stations that have shamelessly sold out to these corrupt politicians and rogues. They should be warned that no evil should happen to Buhari. We are solidly behind him and God Almighty will see him through in Jesus' name. Jimi Omeiza Moses, Eruwen Road, Ikorodu, Lagos. ********** Sir, I commend your insightful piece on Bishop Kukah in The Nation today. But you messed it up with your paragraph 13 in which you said 'my hunch is that he has tried to defend them essentially because they are fellow Christians...’ And yet you admitted that corruption knows no tribe or religion. When will Nigerians think outside religion and ethnicity? Ozolua, Lagos. ********** Sir, This is the best you’ve written. When JONA was stealing with illiterate gusto, KUKAH never envisaged PDP’s ouster. Now that DANIEL BUHARI has come to judgement, let all the toadies in religious garb take cover of silence or self-exile. Sam, Ibadan. ********** Sir, This is what happens when one leaves his duty post. The Bishop should have concentrated on his assignment to catholicize the seat of the Sokoto Caliphate. I am not sure his masters in the Vatican will be too happy about the controversy he has generated by those selfish and biased comments that have, by now, conclusively been read by most Nigerians to be meant to distract the efforts of our elected President to deliver on his WIDELY ACCEPTED campaign promise: fight against corruption. I would advise the Bishop to leave Abuja and return to base to do best what he is paid for. The NCP has outlived its usefulness (if ever it was). He may not know but the mere presence of the priest-contractor, Oritsejafor, on the team completely killed whatever little credibility the team had. Engr. Mailadi Yusuf Abba ********** Sir, You’ve diligently skinned this wolf in canonical mask. Please do the same with that bigot in academic robe. ********** Sir, Your hunch was wrong. It's not because of their faith but because the Bishop has lost the uncommon courage. Does his Bible teach that people should steal? Victor (Akure) ********** Sir, I don't think you were able to find Bishop Kukah "guilty” of any wrong doing. Just go through your article and see the futile attempt to nail the bishop. ********** Sir, President Buhari is not against any tribe or religion. He is addressing the most pressing problem of Nigeria – corruption. Dr. Mann Tolofari, Port Harcourt. ********** Sir, You are an ethnic and religious jingoist in addition to being an attention seeker and a fool. ********** Sir, So your interest is to use the pages of newspapers to insult the clergy. Why is it that you don’t have respect for men of God? Ekene, ********** Sir, We all know that Mohammed Haruna is a fanatic. He should leave Kukah alone to exercise his democratic right. ********** Sir, Thanks for the magnificent piece on the Bishop. The man, like any flesh, has lost focus. He is now dancing naked in the public square. The Desmond Tutu of Nigeria (my wrong perception of him) has become the Oritsejafor of Nigeria. May God help our beloved country and the president. ********** Sir, Your hunch is wrong. It’s not because of their faith but the bishop has lost the uncommon courage. Does the Bible teach that people should steal? Victor, Akure. ********** Sir, Good article as always. However, I remember Bishop Kukah defended PMB when Nigerians wanted to lynch him on his misrepresented statement that Muslims should not vote for other religions. Which camaraderie was that? Musa, Keffi. ********** Sir, I read your write-up of August 26 with great relish. The so-called National Peace Committee is preaching peace without justice. The members have become busybodies and interlopers. Olu Ajayi, Abeokuta. ********** Sir, I read your piece on Bishop Hassan Kukah and I whole heartedly agree with your take on the Bishop’s outrageous and unforgivable utterances. You neglected to mention though that he actually said that President Buhari should remember that he will one day leave office and might therefore face the same probes by his successor. I think that thinly veiled threat/blackmail was, for me, so irresponsible and truly unconscionable. In conclusion, our feelings on this matter diverge only in your position that the NPC should not be disbanded. President Buhari does not need these distracting visits and unnecessary vexations to the spirit; his hands are full. Let the Peace Committee, if they insist on existing, look elsewhere, where there is conflict. Let them visit the north east, fish out genuinely aggrieved youths and negotiate peace, etc. Mrs Kechi Adogu. ********** On Nwabueze Sir, This is a masterpiece. I must confess that this is the best piece I have ever read from you in the last 5 years, the worst being the one you wrote on Dikko Inde, lately the Comptroller-General of Customs last year, ignorantly praising him. Nasiru Manga ********** Sir, How much are you being paid and by whom to insult personalities that you cannot be a match to even if given 1000 years on this planet earth? Mind you the fight against corruption is a Nigerian project, so don’t look at it as your personal project or PMB’s. Enough is enough of your insults on our elders and leaders. Goodman Dan, Taraba State. **********Sir, Thanks for making many Nigerians aware of the diabolical role of Prof Nwabueze during those trying years of 1966 and 1993 respectively. The great scholar is presently clutching his “boarding pass” to enter the plane to the Great Beyond. He should therefore start toeing the few remaining paths of nationalism still open to him. Amb. L. T. Bade-Afuye. ********** Sir, I was very outraged by the position of Ben Nwabueze; it lacked scholarship. These are the people sponsoring Radio Biafra. Ahmed Isa, Agbor. ********** Sir, I think Nwabueze is only afraid that with the unity of the North the votes of South-East have become inconsequential in determining who becomes the president of this country. He lost his professorship long time ago. He now analyses issues like a motor park tout. ********** |