The Senator representing Kaduna South Senatorial District, Sunday Marshall Katung, has lauded the contribution of the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, to nation-building, while describing him as one of the country’s most consistent moral voices to stabilize Nigeria’s democracy.

 

Senator Katung stated this on Monday, while presenting the book, titled “Reflections of a Shepherd – The Quotations of Bishop Matthew Kukah”, at the Catholic Secretariat, Durumi, Abuja.

 

The 229-page book, authored by renowned journalist James Swam in collaboration with The Kukah Centre, compiles over 100 of Bishop Kukah’s quotations on democracy, justice, governance, and national unity.

 

According to Katung, Bishop Kukah’s influence has gone beyond the pulpit to shape public discourse and national values.

 

“For decades, Bishop Kukah has been one of Nigeria’s most respected public intellectuals and one of Africa’s most courageous advocates for justice,” Senator Katung said.

 

“History will undoubtedly remember him as a churchman, a scholar, an advocate for justice, and a nation builder”, he added.

 

Noting that through his interventions on constitutionalism, corruption, interfaith relations, education, security, and national unity, he pointed out that “Bishop Kukah has consistently challenged Nigerians “to think beyond our comfort zones.”

 

“He has reminded us that patriotism is not blind loyalty to the state but an unwavering commitment to justice, fairness, and the common good,” he added.

 

“His words have often comforted the afflicted—but they have also afflicted the comfortable. That, indeed, is the sacred responsibility of every genuine shepherd”, Katung stressed.

 

Senator Katung further identified four nation-building pillars drawn from the book: justice as the foundation of peace, hope in the face of national challenges, dialogue over confrontation, and leadership defined as service.

 

He noted, “We live in an era where our diversity is too often manipulated rather than celebrated; where many young people are tempted to despair about the future”.

 

“At such a time, voices like Bishop Kukah’s perform a national service. They remind us that societies are renewed not only by policies and programmes but also by ideas, values, and moral courage”, he said.

 

The Senator commended James Swam and The Kukah Centre for the publication, saying it will ensure that future generations continue to benefit from Bishop Kukah’s reflections.

 

He added, “Thank you for demonstrating that faith is not an escape from society but an invitation to transform it,” he told the Bishop. “Thank you for teaching us that the true measure of leadership is not the offices one occupies but the lives one influences.”

 

Meanwhile, Katung advised that the book be studied in schools, universities, seminaries and public institutions to inspire a new generation of principled leaders.