CivicScore

FYA Mr Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, and Hon. Amalau Samuel Amalau,

PHC Burtura in Bokkos LGA, Plateau state serves over 2,000 residents, yet the facility is in a deplorable condition and grossly unfit to meet the healthcare needs of the community. The centre has only 2 wards with 2 beds each, meaning no more than four patients can be admitted at a time.

During our field visit, we observed serious deficiencies. No ceilings, exposing patients to rusted roofing sheets, no cannulas or proper stands for administering drips, poor waste management, and inadequate basic medical infrastructure.

Resident tell us that the most times, they have to travel to other communities because the centre is full or unable to cater to their medical needs.

We implore your offices and the Government of Plateau State, National Primary Health Care Development Agency, and Federal Ministry of Health Nigeria to urgently intervene, rehabilitate, equip, and expand this health centre.

Access to basic healthcare should not be constrained by neglect.

SUNDAY CORNER
Bishop Kukah's rhetorical denial of genocide in Nigeria.

Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah built his public reputation on fearless criticism of government failure, especially during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari. He consistently accused Buhari of presiding over what he described as a genocidal campaign against Christians in Southern Kaduna. In local and international platforms, he condemned the administration for its inability to protect lives and property. His voice was loud, his indignation unapologetic, and his advocacy resonated deeply, particularly among Christian communities who felt abandoned by the state. On this score, he was not wrong: the killings and targeted attacks demanded urgent global attention.

However, my disagreement with Bishop Kukah lies not in his call for justice, but in the selective moral lens through which he viewed the tragedy. While Christians undoubtedly suffered horrific violence, they were not the only victims. Muslims, farmers, herders, women, children, travellers, and entire communities across Nigeria were slaughtered by Islamist jihadists, bandits, militant herders, ISWAP, IPOB militants, and kidnappers. Genocide, if honestly confronted, must be acknowledged wherever it manifests, not restricted to the boundaries of faith or ethnic identity. The Bishop’s advocacy, noble as it appeared, was narrowed by a sectarian frame that ignored the blood of other innocent Nigerians spilled on the same soil.

Then came the controversial 2023 elections and the emergence of Bola Ahmed Tinubu through what many Nigerians regarded as a compromised and discredited process. Suddenly, the once fiery critic transformed into a preacher of political accommodation. Bishop Kukah who previously rejected injustice in any form now preached the gospel of “no perfect election anywhere in the world.” Nigerians questioned the legitimacy of the election, yet he urged them to accept the outcome uncritically. He defended economic hardship, rationalized insecurity, and counselled patience with reforms that have plunged millions into unprecedented suffering. The moral consistency that once defined his public engagements appeared to evaporate.

This metamorphosis became more pronounced after Tinubu appointed him Chancellor of a newly established federal university in Southern Kaduna. The symbolism was unmistakable. A priest who once challenged the political order now began to echo the talking points of power. Like Peter who denied Christ three times before the c**k crowed, Bishop Kukah seems to have denied every principled position he once held. The advocate who once warned the world about looming Christian genocide now dismisses or minimizes the same horrors under a new regime.

What shocked many Nigerians was his recent rhetorical contortion in redefining genocide itself. Bishop Kukah argued that even if one million people were killed, it still does not qualify as genocide, an assertion not only intellectually untenable but morally disturbing. That such a statement could come from a Catholic priest, one who once relied on the moral authority of the pulpit to indict the state, raises the troubling question: What changed? The Scriptures warn that the love of money is the root of all evil; today, Nigerians are left wondering whether political favour, privilege, or personal benefit has compromised the once courageous conscience of the Bishop.

The reality is stark: there is genocide in Nigeria, against Christians, Muslims, and countless communities. People are being abducted, massacred, displaced, and erased from their ancestral homelands. Entire villages have vanished. The government remains complacent, evasive, or completely complicit. To deny these realities is not only irresponsible but dangerous. Anyone who downplays or defends this ongoing slaughter, whether cleric, politician, intellectual, or public figure, must answer whether they are acting as an enabler, a sponsor, or a beneficiary of terror.

Nigeria stands today on a precipice. Tinubu has systematically captured institutions, political, judicial, economic and religion appears to be the last frontier under assault. If religious leaders who once spoke truth to power have now joined the chorus of political appeasement, then the nation is truly in peril. Nigerians must reclaim their voice and assert their right to seek help wherever necessary when the government fails in its most sacred duty: the protection of life. If we remain silent, Nigeria may collapse on our heads. And history will remember those who chose comfort over conscience.

Solomon Dalung, LLM,LLB,LB
Igbarman Otarok & Garkuwa Arewa
Voice of the Silent Majority
[email protected]

At a time when Plateau State faces serious insecurity and countless communities are still struggling for stability, it is deeply disappointing to see groups choosing political theatrics over meaningful engagement. The recent protest against Governor Mutfwang’s rumored defection to the APC reflects a misplaced set of priorities.

Rather than channeling their energy into demanding security, development, or unity, these actions focus on creating needless division. Such protests—driven by political hypocrisy and selective outrage—do nothing to strengthen democracy or advance the interests of the Plateau people.

CivicScore condemn this behavior in the strongest possible terms. Politics should not be reduced to personal attacks or gatekeeping; it should be about ideas, progress, and the common good. At this critical time, Plateau State needs responsible voices, not distractions that only deepen division.

Whenever I see photos of our service chiefs and security heads briefing the President, I can’t help but compare them to the security briefings you see in major governments around the world. In those places, you’ll find leaders and their teams gathered around a single table, poring over maps, data, and intelligence. The atmosphere feels collaborative—everyone contributing, analyzing, and strategizing together.

But what we often see in our own Presidential Villa feels different. Instead of a unified, hands-on strategy session, it almost looks like a formal presentation. The President sits behind a huge desk, while the chiefs sit opposite him, delivering updates that feel more like routine reports than deep, data-driven strategic planning.

Until both the optics and the substance shift from ceremonial briefings to true, interactive, intelligence-based collaboration, how can we expect real change in security outcomes? The way a meeting is structured often influences the quality of decisions that come out of it.

This country, honestly.

CivicScore