Governor Malam Dikko Umaru Radda of the Katsina State has celebrated the Christian leadership in Katsina State for having a new Catholic Diocese in the area.
Rev. Fr Gerald Mamman Musa, who is the first Hausa Catholic Bishop was installed as the inaugural Bishop of the newly established Catholic Diocese of Katsina on Tuesday.
Radda expressed appreciation for the level of inter-religious relationships among followers of the two major religions in the state, Islam and Christianity.
According to him, the canonical establishment of the Katsina Diocese and the consecration of a new Bishop “proves the high level of religious tolerance between the two religions, expressing hope of a sustenance.”
This was contained in a statement by the governor while hosting a team of Catholic Bishops led by Bishop Hassan Mathew Kukah of Sokoto Diocese on a courtesy call.
Bishop Kukah, the leader of the delegation had earlier stated that the emergence of Bishop Gerald Mamman Musa, not only as the first Bishop of the Katsina Diocese but also as the first Hausa man to attain this revered position within the Catholic Church, signifies a significant step forward for the Catholic Church in northern Nigeria.
The Bishop noted that the development has empowered the new Katsina Diocese to operate independently from the Sokoto Catholic Diocese.
He commended Governor Radda for his support of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the state.
On his part, the State Chairman of CAN, Shuaibu Liti said the creation of the Katsina Diocese will further bring about the growth of the church and overall development of the state.
Rev. Gerald Mamman Musa was ordained as a priest on June 1, 1996. Before his installation as Bishop Katsina Diocese, he was the Director of the Centre for Studies on African Culture and Communication (CESACC) at the Catholic Institute of West Africa (CIWA), Port Harcourt, Nigeria.