Bishop Julius Yakubu Kundi Spits Fire And Slams Southern Kaduna Political Class And Elites -By Dokpesi Timothy Adidi

It took place on the 31st December, 2021 as the Kanyip’s family commissioned and blessed multiple projects in honour of Late Mr. David Kanyip Bakwaph and Late Mrs. Monica Ntin Kanyip (Parents) and all other deceased members of the family. The projects are: The Rev. Fr. Felix Kanyip Kumai Outdoor Altar; The Dee Kay Bakonica Initiative (DBI) Secretariat and the new improved David Kanyip Bakwaph Family House. The interesting aspect of the projects is the Dee Kay Bakonica Initiative (DBI) which was indeed the focus and center point of the gathering of the Catholic Bishop of Kafanchan Diocese His Lordship Most Rev. Dr. Julius Yakubu Kundi; Catholic Priests from the Province of the Archdiocese of Kaduna, Traditional Rulers, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SANs), serving Honorable Justices (Including the current President of the Industrial Court, Justice Benedict Kanyip and his wife) and past Honorable Justices. The Dee Kay Bakonica Initiative (DBI) is a laudable Project and a Non-Governmental Organization that seeks to involve the women and youths of Attakar Land towards Agricultural empowerment especially on dry season farming, Animal farming and poultry so as not to keep them out of work in a bid to encourage agro-allied means of sustenance, self-employment, job creation and boosting of agricultural produce during the dry seasons.

The event which began with the Holy Mass presided by the Catholic Bishop of Kafanchan Diocese who during his homily raised the hopes and aspiration of the Attakar people of Kaduna State. The Bishop in his simplistic and liturgical style did not hesitate to have done the unusual after the gospel. He left his seat, and at the point everyone thought he was going to the pulpit which was the usual liturgical practice (but not out of place in liturgy of the Roman Catholic Church), he did not settle at the pulpit. He proceeded to the first steps and at that point one would have expected he would just remain at the second stage of the sanctuary. He proceeded forward and left the sanctuary completely to meet the congregation.

The Bishop knowing fully well his actions explained to the congregation the reasons why he had to come down to meet the congregation. He said, firstly, to come meet the people face to face; secondly, he felt disconnected from the congregation (owing to the distance between the sanctuary and the congregation), thirdly, he (the Bishop) was expecting to see more of the political class and elites in the occasion so as to speak directly to them without any fear of favour; to his dismay his expectations were not met. Nonetheless, the bishop did not spare the rod; but, he said it as it is to the few political class and elites present; and hoping that the message will get across to others.

In his homily, the Catholic Bishop of Kafanchan first congratulated the Kanyip’s family for the laudable initiative; but, he did not go further without thanking God for the opportunity to have visited Attakar land for the first time since he was made the Catholic Bishop of Kafanchan Diocese. Although, there have been various attempt to visit Attakar Land and each time there was an effort to come pastoral exigencies would not make things go the way they should go. As such, he took his time to appreciate God for a moment given the circumstances that has brought him to Attakar land. In fact, the Bishop expressed his joy and considers his visit a Divine Providence because of the timing at the end of the year.

According to the Bishop, this Divine Providence set the templates to begin his message and gospel of hope in Attakar land. He (the Bishop) did not hesitate to first admit the circumstances of the Attakar people. A people according to the Bishop that have been neglected and abandoned; they have been victims of mass killings; of which hundreds of their people have either been buried, misplaced and displaced. In fact, he went further to say that at a point Attakar land was nothing but an IDP Camp. This he said has gone on and on for so many years in Kafanchan Diocese even though, the Attakar people to some extent and if not a very large extent were victims of circumstances in their own land. Yet, no word and no voice were heard from the government, the political class and the elites from the Southern Kaduna extraction. Yet, thanks to the Kanyip’s family who have decided to begin such laudable projects as they remember where they are coming from and putting smiles and hope on the face of the Attakar people; and therefore charge other political class and elites to follow suit.

The Catholic Bishop of Kafanchan expressed disappointment at some of the sons and daughters of the soil of Southern Kaduna extraction who deny their identity and would not want to identify with their people who are called “Chongai”. In fact, the Bishop said he is proudly “Chongai” and he should be identified as such. A term most Southern Kaduna people consider inappropriate and derogatory. He said “this is what we are; and who we are; and we must accept it because there is no place like home”. He went further to say that the only people who can make Southern Kaduna great again are the Southern Kaduna people themselves. He told the congregation that nobody else can do this for the Southern Kaduna people.

He (the Bishop) commented on the fact that the Southern Kaduna people have so many generals, both serving generals and retired of which about three (3) to four (4) were recently added to the list of serving generals in Nigeria; and highly placed Professors who have not shown interest in the development and recovery of the Southern Kaduna people. The Bishop also charged the politicians from Southern Kaduna who are at the Federal Government level to use their positions to speak constantly for the Southern Kaduna people as the voice of the voiceless in Southern Kaduna. He unfortunately expressed worries about Southern Kaduna political elites who have abandoned their people just because of what they benefit not minding where they are coming from; and also refuse to bring investments down to Southern Kaduna but prefer to invest elsewhere other than their own fatherland.

The Bishop went further to explain the current circumstances in Zonkwa IDP Camp were so much negative development are taking place due to hunger. He said, “many of the women and girls have taken to prostitution just to have a meal on their table; and some of the men who manage to go to their farms and earn the little they can end up using the money to drink alcohol”. This for the Bishop is really something of concern and therefore calls for serious intervention for the IDP Camp in Zonkwa and not for the people to rely on foreign aid all the time.

More so, the Bishop also reflects the role played by the Roman Catholic Church in the past, present, and the role it will play in the future; and through the voice of the Church the plight of the Southern Kaduna people is known internationally; and also recognized in the map. The Church, he said has always been committed in providing food, clothes, and education for those in the IDP Camp and calls on everyone to join the Church to seek better ways to ensure quality of life for those in the IDP Camp. The Bishop charged the youths to take advantage of this project in Attakar Land and consider it an opportunity to focus in activities that are beneficiary to them in a Country where unemployment is very high. He also appreciated the vast land and natural resources God has given to the Southern Kaduna people; and only when this resources are tapped and used can the Southern Kaduna people experience wealth.

The traditional rulers are not left out in this as the Bishop admonished them to keep having one voice to form a synergy between the traditional institution and religious institution. For him, once the traditional rulers speak differently from the Church then it creates room for discord and this will allow the enemies to penetrate the household; for a house divided against itself cannot stand. This brought the homily to an end as the Bishop once again thanked the Kanyip’s family for the good works they are doing to help salvage the situation in Southern Kaduna.

ADIDI, Dokpesi Timothy
Kaduna Resident
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