The Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, 19 states and
Abuja, has described those castigating the Christmas message of the Bishop of
Sokoto Catholic Diocese, Most Reverend Father Mathew Hassan Kukah, as sectional
zealots who see the trouble in Nigeria from their primordial views.
Recall that the Bishop of Sokoto Catholic Diocese, Most
Reverend Fathy Mathew Hassan Kukah had accused President Muhammadu Buhari of
crass nepotism like never experienced in the history of Nigeria.
Bishop Kukah, in his Christmas message titled, “A Nation in
Search of Vindication” delivered in Sokoto on Friday, noted that President
Buhari had succeeded in sacrificing the dreams of Nigerians on the altar of
nepotism by pursuing Northern hegemony.
Rev John Joseph Hayab, Vice-Chairman, CAN, 19 Northern State and Abuja, in a statement, said, “CAN 19 northern states and Abuja has read with great shock attempts to further divide the nation by the Presidency, the leadership of MURIC and other individuals and groups aimed at twisting the crux of the homily Bishop Kukah gave at Christmas.
“Of grave misgiving is the baseless claim in a statement
signed by the President of MURIC, Prof Ishaq Akintola, that Bishop Kukah had
referred to Islam as a violent religion and calls for a coup.”
The statement lamented that for such a statement to come
from Prof Akintola was not only laughable but misleading, with tissue of lies.
It said that records show MURIC’s leadership as often
careless with assertions and many times acting as if it was a political platform
instead of a religious one.
“CAN 19 northern states and Abuja, therefore, condemned in
its entirety the misleading and inciting statements of MURIC and its likes
calling on the international, as well as the local community to particularly
counsel Prof Akintola of MURIC to learn to walk the path of honour and not be a
merchant of crisis,” it said.
CAN emphasized that reading through Bishop Kukah’s “A Nation
In Search of Vindication”, “it is unable to find any expression suggesting an
affront to Islam or a call for a coup,” adding that sadly, “MURIC aims to
incite citizens against one another along the lines of faith instead of
denouncing the insecurity witnessed across the country which is the point
Bishop Kukah’s message.”
“From the east to the south, west and all over the north,
travelling has become a nightmare while hapless people are dragged from their
homes for ransom,” the statement explained.
It noted that their memory “is fresh with the gruesome
killings of 76 farmers in Borno State in early December 2020 whose crime was
simply being farmers irking for a source of livelihoods for their families.”
CAN stated that the Kankara boys’ kidnap, with the
excruciating pains the kids, their parents and school were thrown in, nothing
was read from MURIC and their likes, stressing that “now from the blues as
Bishop Kukah talked the truth to power, there are unscrupulous statements aimed
at painting black a message that was clear and concise alerting the government
of its failure on the security of lives and property of Nigerians.”
According to CAN, given the current happenings in Nigeria
with kidnapping, banditry, horrible atrocities committed against hapless
citizens by members of Boko Haram, Nigerians should be united in condemning and
finding solutions to the awful condition that Nigerians are in as Bishop Kukah
had rightly done.
It said it was time for the Presidency, MURIC, and
misinformed individuals to eschew their intolerance and admit that Nigeria
under Buhari had strayed from the path and vision that the independence of this
great country was fought for and won.
“Let the government do the right thing by creating a sense
of inclusion for all sundry, defending the citizens from harm, bringing an end
to the growing insecurity in towns, cities, and villages that we could attain
greatness together,” CAN advised.
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