The Catholic Archbishop of Sokoto Diocese, His Lordship, Most Rev. (Dr) Bishop Kukah has called on the Federal Government of Nigeria to abolish the law prohibiting religious organisations from possessing broadcast licenses.
Kukah made the demand on Saturday at the Catholic Herald Centenary Lecture and Awards Presentation where he was the guest speaker and in attendance was President Bola Tinubu (represented by the Youths Minister, Dr Jamila Ibrahim Bio), Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu (represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Mrs Abimbola Salu-Hundeyin).
The discussants, Prof. Mike Ozekhome, Hadiza Bala Usman, Prof. (Sir) Chris Ogbechie, Mr Femi Falana, Very Rev. Fr. Raymond Anoliefo, Mr Liborous Oshoma as well as other leaders graced the event.
Speaking virtually at the event, the clergy said regardless of who was in power, for Nigerians to get to their destination, they must confront the Nigerian state in its inability to fulfil its promises “at least as it is enshrined in chapter two of the constitution.”
He corroborated how some young missionaries in 1920 set up a newspaper and built schools like St Gregory and St Finbarr’s; the newspaper he noted provided a platform for the confrontation of the iniquity of the colonial state.
Kukah stated: “I congratulate the Archdiocese of Lagos, I congratulate the Archbishop for this celebration, but also to remind ourselves and I am happy that the person (Hon. Christopher Tarka) representing the chairman (Senator George Akume, Secretary to the Federal Government) of this occasion made the point. Remember that in 1920 these young missionaries set up a newspaper, they also built St Gregory and they also built St. Finbarr’s, whose exploits we still remember.
“Where are the children and the grandchildren of St Gregory and St Finbarr’s? They should be the ones governing Nigeria today but I don’t think that there are people in any significant position who are holding up this flag today… these young people did what they had to do in 1920 this paper became a platform for us to confront the iniquity of the colonial state.
“Today as we are speaking, Secretary to Government of the Federation I challenge you and President Tinubu I challenge you, today a criminal/anybody can set up a radio station or a television station but the Catholic church because it is a religious organisation according to the laws of Nigeria according to the laws of the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation, the Catholic Church cannot set up a radio or television station because they are afraid we may use it wrongly if you are serious abolish that law and the time to abolish it is now.”
