Those vilifying the Bishop of Sokoto Catholic Archdiocese, Rev. Father Matthew Kukah for speaking against the current administration have been warned to desist from actions that could deplete the peace of the country.

The coalition of Nigerian Muslim Professionals, in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja, yesterday, said that Nigeria would be a great place if there were two or three persons like Kukah.

A statement signed by the group’s National Coordinator, Prof. Mohammed Inuwa, noted that President Muhammadu Buhari may have meant well for the country but faulted the President in some actions taken by his administration which it said was not promoting unity.

The coalition said instead of vilifying the cleric, it would be to the President’s best interests to take Bishop’s message as a wake-up call to adjust for the good of Nigeria

It noted that promoting the interest of one region against others is not what a good leader is known for, adding that in as much it loves the president, the coalition will want him to leave a legacy of a united Nigeria.

The Muslim coalition condemned in its entirety attacks trailing Kukah’s Christmas Day Message, where he bemoaned the state of the nation, warning that unless leaders sit up, Nigeria was heading towards a failed state.

Kukah had also accused Buhari of piloting Nigeria into darkness in the message titled: “A Nation in Search of Vindication.”

He had emphasised the worsening state of insecurity in the country and berated the current Federal Government of glaringly abandoning the nation’s extant Federal Character Principles and rather promoting nepotism with impunity.

The development has been drawing criticisms from the President’s friends, political associates and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

However, the coalition commended Kukah for what they described as “his boldness to speak truth to power”, faulting those vilifying him.

The Nigerian Muslim Professionals took a swipe at those trolling the Bishop, saying they were doing it for their pecuniary gains and not the interest of the country.

It warned against twisting the message to mean the Bishop endorses coup, saying contrary to those promoting that insinuation, the revered Bishop was too learned to support such ignoble path to installing leadership, saying Nigerians with a conscience would not fall to the antics of those twisting the Bishop’s message for selfish reasons.

The group said having followed Kukah’s activities and preaching since the days of the military, it was convinced that not too many Nigerians took the interest of the country at heart like Kukah.

“Even during the military era where people dreaded the powers that be at the time, Kukah, who was then a Catholic priest spoke truth to those at the helm of affairs without fear or favour. He has shown through his actions all the years that he is a true son of Nigeria in particular and Africa in general,” the group stated.

“We should support him for being bold enough to come out to speak what many Nigerians know is the truth but afraid to speak out for fear of the leadership.

“While we must admit that President Muhammadu Buhari means well for the nation, we must say that most people in his government are grossly incompetent and don’t deserve to stay around power even in an uncivilized space,” the group stated.

The group said it would not shy away from the truth even though most of the president’s actions drawing criticisms were in favour of its region.

It flayed the glaring marginalisation of the Igbos in every facet of national life, saying the development was not promoting national cohesion which nationalists that laid down their lives for the country’s independence wanted.

“There’s nothing wrong with Kukah’s statement in the actual sense. Some regions particularly the South-East has been marginalized in successive governments, and the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari came and amplified it with the worst,” it added.

It described those attacking Kukah as faceless individuals who were being promoted by selfish people in leadership to silence the truth.

”We strongly condemn the wrong approach taken to respond to a message by a patriotic Nigerian by these incompetent people working to derail the president’s agenda.

“It is completely wrong to be attacking Kukah by some faceless sponsored groups. Kukah did not in any way call for a coup, he is too learned to do that.

“We stand completely with Kukah, this government must be fair to all Nigerians irrespective of tribe and religion,” it said.