Nigeria’s erudite priest, Monsignor Matthew Hassan Kukah, who was recently appointed Bishop of Sokoto Catholic Diocese by the Vatican yesterday met with the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican, in Rome.
The Papal meeting, LEADERSHIP reliably gathered, was ahead of his September 8, 2011 episcopal ordination and installation as Bishop. During the meeting, the Pope prayed for Kukah, blessed him, after which he congratulated him and wished him well in his new assignment.
Bishop- designate, Kukah, on his arrival in Rome received a grand reception by members of the Catholic clergy, who felicitated with him over the development.
Kukah is expected back to the country ahead of his ordination which will take place in Sokoto at Giginya Memorial Stadium.
Kukah replaces Bishop J. Kevin Aje, whose pastoral resignation has been accepted by the Vatican.
The Diocese of Sokoto, established in 1964 was a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Kaduna and covers a vast territory of 109,507 sq. km, with 14,133,000 inhabitants, of whom about 44,366 are Catholics. There are 17 parishes, 32 diocesan priests, seven religious priests, seven religious brothers and 28 religious sisters. There are 39 major seminarians.
Kukah, who is presently the vicar-general of the Kaduna archdiocese as well as the parish priest of St. Andrews Catholic Church, Kakuri, Kaduna, was born on August 31, 1952. He had his primary education at St. Fidelis Primary School, Zagon, then St. Joseph Minor Seminary, Zaria, before proceeding to St. Augustine’s Major Seminary Jos, Plateau State, where he studied Philosophy and Theology.
He was ordained a Catholic Priest on December 19, 1976. After his ordination, his quest for knowledge took him to the University of Ibadan, there he obtained a diploma in Religious Studies; he received the Bachelor of Divinity at the Urban University Rome in 1976, then a Master’s degree in Peace Studies, at the University of Bradford, United Kingdom in 1980, and PhD at the famous London School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in 1990.
However, his most outstanding book that discusses the religious politics of Northern Nigeria – Religion, Politics and Power in Northern Nigeria (1993) received an Honorary Noma commendation in 1994.
To his credit, another of his book that analyses democracy in Nigeria titled Democracy and Civil Society in Nigeria, then Religion and The Politics of Justice in Nigeria. In 1996 he co-published with Professor Toyin Falola another book titled Religious Militancy and Self-Assertion, Religious Revivalism in Nigeria
He was also at the famous St. Anthony’s College, University of Oxford as a Senior Rhodes fellow from 2002 to 2003, then at the prestigious Kennedy School of Government (KSG) Harvard University Boston, Massachusetts, as Edward Mason Fellow where he bagged a Master of Arts degree in public policy in 2004. He recently launched a book, on his experience in Oputa Panel, “Witness To Justice: An Insiders Account of Nigeria’s Truth Commission”.
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