Despite Holding Power For Many Years, The North Remains Poorest Part Of The Country – Kukah

Matthew Kukah, Catholic bishop of Sokoto diocese, says Northern Nigeria remains the poorest region in the country, despite holding power for many years.

The Catholic bishop said this on Sunday while speaking at the burial of Joseph Bagobiri, former Catholic bishop of Kafanchan diocese.

Since Nigeria gained independence in 1960, the country has witnessed 14 different administrations, with 9 from the Northern part of the country.

Kukah said nearly 15 million Muslim children are on the streets with no future in sight.

He called on the Northerners to come together to develop the region, as the world is changing fast.

“It is sad that the northern Muslim elite has used religion to hold on to power to the detriment of even their own people and the larger society,” he said.

“For despite holding power for all these years, the north is still the poorest part of the country. Nearly 15 million Muslim children are on the streets with no future in sight.

“We are, as the governor of Borno would say, the poster child of poverty.

“Death, destruction and destitution have become our lot and nowhere is this more expressed than in northern Nigeria. Today, Boko Haram and the herdsmen and farmers clashes are phenomena that are peculiar to the north and Islam… we cannot run away from this.

“Even Usman Dan Fodio said that a society can live with unbelief, but no nation can survive with injustice.”

He commended the administrations of former President Olusegun Obasanjo and the former governor of Kaduna state, Ahmed Makarfi for developing southern Kaduna and for appointing “qualified” southern Kaduna indigenes into positions of authority.

He also accused northern Muslim elite of using religion to hold on to power.