MURIC spoke on the heels of the revelation by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) that NPC is a personal initiative of Kukah.
MURIC’s statement by its director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, reads: “We received the information supplied by the Vice Chairman (Northern Region) of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. John Hayab, with great relief. The CAN Vice Chairman revealed that the National Peace Committee (NPC) is a non-governmental group convened by Bishop Kukah himself.
“This information is hidden from the public as NPC website merely says, ‘The National Peace Committee is an initiative conceptualised in 2014 in response to emerging threats occasioned by the 2015 general elections. It is an initiative made up of eminent elder statesmen, who undertake efforts to support free, fair and credible elections, as well as intervene in critical issues of national concern through high-level mediated and alternative dispute resolution mechanisms.
“The fact that the author of the ‘initiative’ is hidden from the public in its website here shows lack of transparency and possession of a hidden agenda. The joker card is in Kukah’s pocket. This can be gleaned from the composition of the membership of the committee, which has 15 members.
“They are: Abdul Salami Abubakar, Mathew Hassan Kukah, Okoh Ebute Ukiwe, Dame Priscilla Kuye, HRH Saa’d Abubakar III the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Aliko Dangote GCON, Archbishop Nicholas Okoh, Mr. Brown Ade, Mr. Sam Amuka, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, Professor Amezi Gobadiya, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, Dr. Supo Ayokunle (CAN President) and Justice Rose Ikeji.
“These are eminent personalities whom we respect. But that should not be all. We must look further and ask, ‘How ‘national’ is the National Peace Committee? This must be done particularly because the brain behind it is also a social critic. A man who interrogates others must know that his actions will equally be interrogated.
“From the above list of members of Kuka’s committee we can see 10 Christians and five Muslims only. There are also nine Southerners as against six Northerners only. Can you now see what we mean? A man who always complains about marginalisation and accuses others of nepotism cannot even raise a committee of 15 without falling foul of his own allegations against others.”
