Insecurity: CAN declares fasting, prayer

FOLLOWING the intensity of Boko Haram's
war against the nation, the leadership of the
Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN,
yesterday, declared today as a day of fasting
and prayer for peace, unity and progress of
the country. A statement by the National President of the
association, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, decried
the increased spate of bombing and general
insecurity in the nation, saying it's only
supplication to God that can salvage Nigeria.
Oritsejafor urged all Christians to use the day to pray against the
escalating activities of the
militant Islamic sect, Boko Haram, as well as
the Fulani herdsmen and for God to expose
them and their sponsors. He also urged well meaning Nigerians to
pray for the quick recovery of victims of the
recent Nyanya Motor Park bomb blast still at
different hospitals within the Federal Capital
Territory and for the release of the
remaining abducted girls from the hands of their abductors. Meanwhile,
the umbrella body of Christians
has expressed reservations on the
composition of members of the Conference
Committee on Religion, insisting that the
composition unveiled Justice Idris Legbo
Kutigi's Islamic agenda, just as the conference management said it would not be
at the mercy of CAN. The national Christian body said the ratio of
the committee members, with 12 Muslims
and six Christians is contrary to equal
representation of the two bodies, while
berating the co-chairman of the national
conference, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi for his alleged failure to protect
Christian interest at
the ongoing national dialogue. CAN said the choice Nurudeen Lemu, who is
also from Niger State like the Conference's
chairman, and Bishop Felix Ajakaiye as
chairman and co-chairman of the committee
respectively, was the last straw that broke
the camel's back. The statement signed by the Director of National
Issues, CAN, Mr.
Sunny Oibe, said it was not opposed to the
choice of Ajakaiye, but wondered why the
conference chose a Muslim from the North
and Christian from South West, who had little
or no knowledge of the Christian persecution in the North. The
association, therefore, demanded equal
representation of Muslims and Christians in
the conference committee on religion, as well
as replacement of Ajakaye as co-chair with a
Christian from the North. The body which
expressed doubt on the ability of Kutigi to pilot affairs of the
conference also demanded
the replacement of Dr. Jonathan Obaje, one of
the Christians in the committee, saying that
his absence would affect Christians'
interest. The statement reads: "We hereby express
our reservations on the composition of
members of the National Conference
Committee on Religion and without fear or
contradiction state that the chairman of the
conference, Justice Idris Legbo Kutigi, has done his wish to ensure
that the leadership of
the committee favours Muslims in Nigeria. "He is from Niger State and
the Committee
on Religion should be a sensitive committee.
The chairman has decided to scatter the
Christians in the confab and now brought
Nurudeen Lemu, the son of Sheikh Lemu, who
is also from Niger State to chair the committee and did not pick any delegate
representing the Christian Association of
Nigeria. "The supposed Christian in the committee,
Dr. Jonathan Obaje, representing the
Diaspora in the confab has been given
express permission by Kutigi to travel back
overseas for holiday. He is not even in
Nigeria at present and does not represent CAN. The delegate is not around and
Christians will be affected during voting.
Bishop Felix Ajakaiye who was named co-
chairman in the committee is representing
Ekiti State and not CAN. In that case, we have
already lost and the ratio will now be 12 members for Muslims and six
for Christians. "To us in CAN, Justice Kutigi is working out
a script to undermine the interest of the
Christians in the confab. Ordinarily, the
Christians who have been on the receiving
end from the members of the Boko Haram
Islamic sect in the North should be a co- chairman in the Committee on
Religion."

Posted by Chrisray

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