Human Rights Activist, Dr. Chido Onumah, will be having a conversation with the Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Matthew Kukah, on Kukah’s new book, “Broken Truths: Nigeria’s Elusive Quest for National Cohesion”, on Monday, August 29, at the RovingHeights Bookstore, Abuja.
In a statement by its co-founder, Adedotun Eyinade, on Thursday, he said, “Broken Truths: Nigeria’s Elusive Quest for National Cohesion, is a collection of convocation lectures delivered by Kukah over several years at several Universities across Nigeria. The book covers themes ranging from the future of Nigeria, insurgency and national cohesion, national healing, through freedom and justice in Nigeria.”
Speaking with Onumah, on Thursday, he said, “Not many people understand Nigeria like Bishop Kukah. In his new book, he moves from theory to praxis and offers enduring solutions to Nigeria’s myriad challenges. Very few people will disagree with his answers, which is a mark of his consistency and clarity of ideas.”
Kukah, while mentioning his new book in April on television, challenged the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, and Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, to a debate on national issues. While delving into their career history, he described how they have handled their roles in the presidency “poorly”.
He said, “Let me simply say that I have made an offer to them and still make the offer that they can choose the venue, choose the time and just let me know. I would like to sit down with the three of them, beginning with their honourable minister and both of them. Let us sit down together and talk about Nigeria. I’m ready. I will pay my way. I still repeat that offer to them.”
“There is nowhere in the world where the job of this nature is being done so poorly.”
Bishop Kukah has served in various capacities in the areas of governance, reform, and national peace. He was a member of the Nigerian Investigation Commission of Human Rights Violations from 1999 -2001; Secretary of the National Political Reform Conference in 2005. He has been the chairman of the Ogoni-Shell reconciliation committee since 2005 and has served as Convener of the National Peace Committee since 2007, where he has campaigned for peace during elections and in troubled communities in the country.
