Bishop Kukah Tasks Tinubu to Address Mounting Hunger Crisis

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Bishop of Sokoto Catholic Diocese, Most Reverend Matthew Kukah, has urged the administration of President Bola Tinubu to address the food crisis in the country.

Bishop Kukah made this known during his remarks on Friday at the All Progressives Congress (APC) unveiling of the Progressive Institute in Abuja, an occasion graced by governors, ministers, party leaders, and other appointees of government from both national and state levels.

While President Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima were absent, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr George Akume, was in attendance.

“Nigerians are hungry and something urgent needs to be done,” the cleric pointed out.

He used the medium to call the government to address the high cost of fuel, which he said was impacting the productivity of Nigerians.

Nigeria currently battles one of the worst food crises in history, with food inflation pegged at over 40 per cent by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

The ongoing increase in the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) or petrol from around N585 per litre to almost N900 per litre by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited has also sparked uproar in the country, with many calling for a reversal.

Speaking further, the bishop said unless democracy was built on an intellectual foundation, “it will be built on sand.”

According to him, politics must be seen as a science to deliver good governance and not a game of looting.

He rejected the politician tag and said he was political and believed in promoting quality leadership.

In his remarks, the National Chairman of the APC, Mr Abdullahi Ganduje noted that the Progressive Institute is to ensure that the ideology of the party is institutionalised.

He said it will also serve as the official policy think-tank of the party, and provide a platform for discussion between the party, Nigerians, the academic society and the media, to promote inclusiveness.

He also said the institute will provide policy advice and suggestions to the government elected on the platform of the APC at both the national and state levels.

Mr Ganduje further explained that the institute will also serve as an intellectual platform that will engage the international committee.