Presidency blasts Bishop Kukah, others over in delivery of Tucano Jets

The Presidency has chastised government opponents for influencing the US administration’s opinion of Nigeria, which is thought to have resulted in delays in the delivery of fighter jets to the country to help fight insecurity.

The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Hassan Kukah, is one of those opponents, according to a statement released by Presidency Spokesman Garba Shehu on Sunday.

Shehu stated in a statement titled; ‘Predicting Nigeria’s Collapse Is A Perennial Pursuit Of US Think Tanks And Policy Experts,’ that the clergyman provided quotes from a book written by former US Ambassador to Nigeria, John Campbell, which the Presidency noted do not indicate much improvement in the country.

But despite previous predictions of coups in the country, democracy has remained unbroken for the past 29 years.

Also Read: NAPTIP reveals Dubai, new Human Trafficking destination

The Presidency statement read in part, “In 2015 the then newly-elected Buhari government requested US military support in the form of Super Tucano jet fighters for the Nigerian Air Force.

“The Nigerian military, security, and intelligence services repeatedly made this request.

“The US administration of the time concurred: the delivery of such jets would help deliver a critical turning point in Nigeria’s struggle against jihadist terrorists across the Sahel.

“Yet two years later, that jet delivery was rescinded, the reasons given that unless Nigeria improved its religious relations between Christianity; and Islam then US support would not be forthcoming in this, and many other areas.

“Such views were compounded by the constant lobbying of US Congress by the opponents of the Nigerian government who had lost the previous election; and many of their southern religious supporters – including Bishop Mathew Kukah, the Catholic Bishop of Diocese of Sokoto who, unsurprising, provides a supportive quote for the dustcover of the new edition of Campbell’s book. (Kukah even took to addressing the US Congress himself, briefing his audience on the history of coups in Nigeria; without, of course, mentioning that none had occurred since 1993, some 29 years ago).

“Fortunately, now today under a new US administration these jets have been delivered; and with it, a serious blow against the terrorists – with the supreme leader of Islamic State in West Africa and scores of other leaders of the group eliminated in airstrikes.“