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Tag: CAN

  • Herdsmen have killed, displaced more people than Boko Haram – CAN

    …says FG not showing willingness to end gruesome killings of herdsmen

    …warns FG to take immediate action before another civil warn occurs

    The Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN has urged the Federal Government to be more proactive to the killings of herdsmen they way it does with other terrorist groups in the country.

    In a statement signed by the CAN president, Samson Ayokunle, the association said the trend has reached what it describes as the ‘breaking point of its tolerance level’ and urged immediate action to stop the killings.

    “We in the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) are forced to make this press release on the continuous inhuman and wicked activities of the Fulani Herdsmen all over the Federation who are going from community to community killing innocent farmers with impunity.

    “They have killed more people than the Boko Haram sect and almost displaced more people than them. We are now reaching a breaking point in our patience and toleration of this wicked impunity before degenerating to a civil war.

    “While the government has taken the battle to Boko Haram terrorists, the Indigenous People of Biafra, the Badoo boys, the Niger Delta Avengers and other groups, the government has not shown any serious willingness to checkmate the murderous Fulani Herdsmen. This to us is a betrayal of the confidence reposed in this government by Nigerians when they voted them into power,” the statement said.

    The association also accused the federal government of failing in its constitutional duty of protecting the nation, adding that there was no excuse for the government’s ‘failure to investigate the sources of ammunition used by the herdsmen.’

    “Similarly, the government has failed to uphold the constitution which they swore to uphold because they have failed in protecting Nigerians from the attacks of Fulani herdsmen in the affected areas. If they continue to allow Fulani herdsmen to be having a field day in killing people like this, is it not the Fulanis alone that would remain that they would be governing? God forbid.

    “We need to know why the intelligence units of all security apparatus we have in this country have not been able to discover the sources of supply of ammunition to Fulani herdsmen living virtually in the bush. The Customs and the Immigration services together with the Police have case to answer. Who are the suppliers of these weapons? If the murderous herdsmen are foreigners, as it is being claimed in some quarters, why did we allow dangerous foreigners into our country to come and kill us? Our government has a case to answer too,” the statement added.

    CAN also called on the international community to help in addressing the problem.

    It said it has set aside a date for churches to pray against the menace.

    “We urge all churches to set aside time this coming Sunday, January 7, to pray for Nigeria and for victory over the killings. Our nation can never be great in a state of insecurity and war as we are presently experiencing it. This government owes the entire Nigerians the responsibility of competent action, not just action by words of mouth,” the statement said.

    Herdsmen attacked and killed at least 20 people in Benue communities last week.

    The Police said they have arrested eight herdsmen over the deaths which they put at 10 persons.

    “Eight herdsmen, six in Guma and two in Logo, had been arrested in connection with the attacks,” a police spokesman said.

    There have been series of attacks by suspected herdsmen in many parts of the country with huge casualties recorded in recent years.

  • Pray for Buhari’s govt, CAN leader urges Nigerians

    The Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, has called on Nigerians to continue to support President Muhammadu Buhari administration in the efforts to turn around the nation’s economy.

    Tunde Akinsanya, the CAN chairman in Ogun, told the News Agency of Nigeria in Abeokuta on Monday that the support became necessary to realise the plan of God for the country.

    Mr. Akinsanya, a bishop, also urged Nigerians to intensify prayers on the president’s efforts to realise the policies and programmes for the country, as prayers and support remained the only way to achieve greatness.

    The cleric called on Nigerians to be grateful and thankful to God for witnessing the New Year despite the challenges that faced the nation in 2017.

    “The masses should always pray for the country for God’s protection, and also put God first in all their endeavours.

    “Prayer is the only key that can solve the problems of Nigeria, if we all join hands in praying sincerely for the country, all the challenges facing the country will be a thing of the past,” he said.

    Mr. Akinsanya advised political office holders to be ready to give account of their stewardship to God on the day of judgment, in respect of the service they rendered to the people while in office.

    The cleric, however, called on the government not to relent in its efforts to fight corruption to a halt.

    He also urged government to tackle the perennial herdsmen/farmers clashes as well as find a lasting solution to the worrisome fuel crisis in the country.

    Mr. Akinsanya, however, congratulated Nigerians for witnessing another year, adding that Nigerians should continue to pray for the country and its leaders.

    NAN

  • Northern CAN urges Nigerians not to lose faith in country

    The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Northern chapter on Saturday urged Nigerians not to lose faith in the country.

     

    Rev John Hayab,the Public Relations Officer of CAN, made the appeal in a statement he made in Kaduna.

    Hayab stated that in spite of the pains and failures being experienced in some sectors, there were still many reasons to celebrate and be grateful.

     

     

    “Our children must be made to see hope for a brighter future, our leaders and elders must strive to keep a good legacy. “We should all work to ensure a peaceful society. “Those who specialise in speaking evil and instigating others against their fellow citizens should have a rethink. “Our government should learn to listen to the advice of citizens while the citizens should be patient with government and render honest support.

     

    “We all should be patriotic and give our honest contributions to making this nation greater than what and where we are now,” he said. Hayab said that the country had mourned and cried enough and called on the citizens to always look for reasons to celebrate the country’s greatness rather than being negative all the time. “God bless our great country Nigeria and we wish all a happy 57th independence anniversary,’’ the clergy said.

     

    READ ALSO:Soonest, Nigeria shall be great again – CAN

     

  • SUKUK: MURIC blasts CAN, says ‘You cry foul each time Muslims demand their rights’

    …warns CAN to stop misleading misleading Christians

    The Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC, has lambasted the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, over its statement that the Federal Government was making discreet moves to Islamise the country by its proposed floating of the Sukuk Eurobond

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the Christian body had on Tuesday in statement signed by its General Secretary, Musa Asake, said that the floating of the Sukuk bond was an attempt by the federal government to “Islamise Nigeria through the backdoor”.

    CAN therefore urged the federal government to abrogate the laws and framework behind the bond and threatened to seek legal redress if that was not done.

    However, in a statement on Thursday, Ishaq Akintola, President of MURIC, described CAN’s position as “not only infantile, petty and overbearing but also spiteful and egocentric”.

    Akintola, a professor, said in his statement that the government had released “Christian-oriented bonds for decades and the Muslims did not complain for once”, adding that the body should stop misleading Nigerians and inciting Christians against their Muslim neighbours.

    MURIC also explained that Sukuk is purely business and has no elements of “Islamisation”.

    “Let us eschew primordial sentiments. Sukuk is purely business. We advise Christians to take their destiny in their own hands instead of allowing warlike leaders to lead them into an unnecessary confrontation with Muslims every time,” the statement read.

    “Our position is based on the fact that CAN has all it needs in Nigeria today because the whole system is Christo-Western: education, the judicial system, the economy, everything. There is nothing the Muslims are demanding now that the Christians don’t have already on a platter of gold. It must also be stated that the Christians do not need the things that the Muslims are asking for.

    “Have they ever seen Muslims opposing a benefit going to Christians? We did not protest when you started going to Jerusalem even though we know that it is not mandatory for Christians. Why is it that CAN always cry foul each time we seek parity?

    “We must now ask CAN why it is playing dog in the manger. Shari‘ah is not for them but CAN screamed until the roofs nearly came down. OIC does not hurt any Christian but CAN shouted to high heavens. Hijab is for female Muslims alone but violent envy pushed CAN to shout itself hoarse. Islamic bank is for Muslims alone but CAN labeled it Islamisation of Nigeria. Can CAN give us a list of those who have been Islamised since Islamic banking started in the country?”

    On CAN’s claim that Sukuk was unconstitutional, the body said such claim is false, stressing that its legality could however be challenged in the court.

    “How can laws made by the federal government be ultra vires? CAN is misleading Nigerian Christians. CAN should know what to do if it is unconstitutional. We challenge CAN to go to court today. It should not wait till tomorrow.

    “If it is true that Sukuk implies Islamisation, then the stock exchange is imperialistic Christianisation. But almost the whole of Europe has embraced the Sukuk industry. This includes France, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Luxemburg and Britain. Paris EUROPLACE established Sukuk as far back as 2007 and France has since established the Islamic Finance Commission. Germany issued its first Sukuk in 2004,” Akintola said.

     

  • News Hour: Buhari planning to Islamise Nigeria by floating Sukuk Bond, says CAN I TNGtv

  • Buhari planning to Islamise Nigeria through back door by floating Sukuk bond – CAN

    The Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, has said the recent floating of the Sukuk Islamic bond by the President Muhammadu Buhari led federal government is another pointer to its intention convert the nation to an Islamic country.

    CAN made the accusation on Tuesday in a statement signed and released by its General Secretary, Rev. Musa Asake.

    The Christian body also demanded the immediate abrogation of the laws and framework behind the bond while threatening to seek legal redress if that was not done.

    CAN said Nigeria was a secular state and the government was expected to be neutral on issues involving religion.

    The statement reads in part: “The Christian Association of Nigeria has been protesting against this aberration since the Osun State Government, under Governor Rafiu Aregbesola, embarked on this violation of the Constitution.

    “Rather than stand in the defence of the constitution, it is disappointing to note that the Federal Government is pursuing what is an outright confirmation of an Islamisation agenda.

    “The recent floating of Sukkuk Bond by the government is not only sectional but illegal and a violation of the Constitution. Every law that has been promulgated to back the Sukuk issuance and promote an Islamic banking system in Nigeria is ultra vires, illegal, null and void.”

    “Therefore, the manipulations and scheming to smuggle the country into a full blown Islamic state should stop; these manipulations became apparent with the smuggling of Nigeria into the Organisation of Islamic Conference in 1986 by the Ibrahim Babangida military junta,” Asake said.

    “The FG must dismantle all legal and institutional framework established to promote Islamic financing in Nigeria.

    “We affirm that the territorial integrity of Nigeria is undermined through the issuance of Sukuk in the country. We hope that the government shall desist from its policies of unbridled religious sectionalism,” CAN said.

    Meanwhile, the Federal Government had earlier rubbished the accusations by CAN insisting the Sukuk bond was not in any way made to Islamise the county.

    The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, said the financial initiative was borne out of the need to include people who were opposed to interest-yielding enterprises.

    He said, “Sukuk is not an attempt to Islamise Nigeria in any form. On the contrary, it is an attempt at financial inclusiveness. The difference between Sukuk Bond and other bonds is that if you invest in Sukkuk bond, you earn no interest.

    “So, the scheme appeals to many people who don’t believe that money should gather interest. They, however, engage in profit sharing in the sense that if the government makes a profit from the bond, they give the investor a part of it but if the government makes no profit, the investor is not entitled to anything.”

  • Nigerians are tired of hearing trillions shared in Abuja with nothing to show, CAN tells FG

    …Felicitates with Muslim faithfuls on Eid-el-Kabir celebrations

    …Urges government to reduce cost of living in Nigeria

    The President, Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Rev. Samson Ayokunle, has called on the Federal Government to address the economic hardship and the high cost of living in the country which he said had reached an alarming level.

    The Christian leader appealed to the government to address the lopsidedness in the polity, attributing the restructuring agitations in the country to the failure of the National Assembly and the National Council of State to tackle the issues.

    Ayokunle in a statement on Saturday in Abuja by his Special Assistant (Media and Communications), Pastor Adebayo Oladeji, rejoiced with Muslims as they celebrated Eid-el-Kabir and urged the citizens to douse the tension in the country, saying no country has ever survived two wars.

    He said, “CAN also rejoices with the First Family and the FG for the restoration of the health of President Muhammadu Buhari as we charge the government to reduce the cost of living that has reached an alarming level.

    “It is needless to remind the political class to fulfil all their promises made during the last elections as they are warming up for another general election. Their words should be their bound.

    “We are tired of hearing billions and trillions of naira being shared among the three tiers of government in Abuja with little or nothing to show for it.”

    Ayokunle said it was time the leaders were held accountable for the management of the nation’s commonwealth.

    “CAN as a body wants our country to remain one but we also want the lopsidedness in the polity to be addressed and it is because both the National Assembly and the National Council of State have failed to address it that is making all well meaning across all the divides to be calling for the restructuring,” he noted.

    The cleric admonished Muslim leaders in the country “to join hands with us in our vision to have a nation where social justice, equity, peace, unity, and progress are her hallmarks.”

  • Stop playing politics with Buhari’s health, he needs our prayers – CAN tells Nigerians

    Stop playing politics with Buhari’s health, he needs our prayers – CAN tells Nigerians

    …tells protesters to follow due process

    The President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Dr Samson Ayokunle on Wednesday said Nigerians should stop playing politics with the health of President Muhammadu Buhari.

    Ayokunle who made the remark in Lokoja, said Nigerians should leave out sentiments and pray more for the quick recovery of Buhari who is currently in London on medical vacation.

    “ Let us continue to pray for him, we don’t play with the life of a human being, and nobody wants to fall sick, so don’t let us continue to make politics out of sickness; let us continue to pray for him,” the CAN President said.

    The CAN leader who visited the Kogi chapter of CAN, also cautioned those calling for the resignation of Buhari to be guided by the provisions of the 1999 Constitution.

    “The position of CAN is that, we should follow the constitution, we have the constitution to guide us, so whatever the constitution says let us follow it, we drew it ourselves so let us not break it,” he added.

    The CAN president also spoke on the ongoing strike by university lecturers, urging them to dialogue with the Federal Government to quickly resolve the dispute.

    “ I think this issue has been on ground for too long, let there be a parley between ASUU and government.

    “ We are playing with the future of the younger generation, so let us show them love, don’t let us allow our children to grow up hating us, hating the nation.

    “ Strike today strike tomorrow; I beg both parties to exercise patience, understanding and maturity.

    “We know that the economy is going upside down, we believe that as we are praying for those managing the economy they will come out strong and be able to proffer solutions.”

    Earlier, the state Chairman of CAN, Bishop John Ibenu said that the association had been working harmoniously with other religious groups to ensure peace in the state.

    He also spoke on security challenge facing the state and appreciated the collaboration between the state government and security agencies to protect lives and property of residents.

    Ibenu said CAN had been interfacing with the state government to ensure that workers were not treated unjustly over the just concluded staff verification.

    The chairman briefed the CAN president on efforts being made to ensure smooth operation of the Christian Pilgrims Welfare Commission and other issues affecting Christians in the state.

     

    NAN

  • Buhari overwhelmed by CAN’s ‘touching message’ about his recovery – Presidency

    Presidency has described as “touching and thoughtful,” a message received from the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) expressing joy at the news of President Muhammadu Buhari’s recovery from illness.

    In a statement in Abuja on Monday, Malam Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to President Buhari, confirmed that the President received the goodwill message from CAN President, Rev. Samson Ayokunle.

    “The CAN President referred to the news of President Buhari’s recovery from sickness as a ‘rejuvenation of hope’, and congratulated Nigerians on the joy of having their President back soon,” he said.

    Shehu added that such messages of goodwill from respected religious bodies like CAN meant so much at a time when people with ill intentions were struggling to divide the country along religious lines.

    He also thanked the CAN for its continued prayers for the President’s health.

    “The Presidency looks forward to further collaborations with CAN to ensure that Nigerians of all ethnic and religious groups benefit from the policies of the President Buhari administration which are aimed at improving the welfare of every single citizen of our great country,” he said.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that President Buhari traveled for medical check-up in London on Sunday, May 7, more than a month he came back into the country from a previous medical vacation.

     

  • Adamu trying to Islamise Nigeria, new curriculum without CRK is time bomb – CAN

    Sequel to the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu’s claim that Christian Religious Knowledge (CRK) was not removed from the secondary school education curriculum, the Christian Association Nigeria (CAN) has reacted, insisting that the subject has been removed.

    It challenged the Ministry “to publish the full details of the controversial new Curriculum of Education if they have no hidden agenda ”.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council on Tuesday in a statement debunked claims that the subject (Christian Religious Knowledge, CRK) has been removed from schools’ curriculum.

    TheNewsGuru.com also reports that Adamu faulted the position of CAN over the matter when he spoke to newsmen after Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in the State House on Wednesday.

    The Minister noted that the dummy was sold to CAN by the social media and probably by an individual who wanted to add to the growing tension in the country.

    His words: “On the issue of CRK which the social media took up and deceived the leadership of CAN and they believed it because as l read in the newspapers, they were asking the acting president to confirm it, there is no truth in it at all.

    “It was just the work of somebody’s imagination; probably somebody who wishes to raise the tension of the country after the Biafra issue and then quit order given by some young people in the North; it then follows that somebody is trying to fuel the embers of the tension. There is no truth whatsoever in it. Certainly, there was a policy in 2012 which was given effect in 2014 before this government came in.

    “One of the things I did when I assumed the office of the minister was to speak to the National Educational Council to disarticulate History from Social Studies curriculum because we needed young people to know History. You cannot know who you are without knowing who your ancestors were.

    “The next thing l did was to ask the National Council on Education (NEC) to accept and agree to it and they did accept and agreed. The CRK has been made compulsory for all Christians and Islamic Religious Knowledge has also been made compulsory for all Muslims ”.

    However, reacting on Thursday (today), CAN President, Rev Dr Samson Olasupo Ayokunle said the Christian body spoke about the “perceived dangers packaged in the new Curriculum of Education” when it met with the Acting President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo.

    In the statement, Ayokunle noted: “In this curriculum, Islamic and Christian Religious Studies will no longer be studied in schools as subjects on their own but as themes in a civic education.

    “This undermines the sound moral values that these two subjects had imparted in the past to our children which had made us to religiously and ethnically co-exist without any tension.

    “Islamic Religious Knowledge was equally made available as a subject in another section without any corresponding availability of Christian Religious Knowledge. Is this not a divisive curriculum that can set the nation on fire? Is this fair to millions of Christians in this nation?”

    Th e CAN President cited a case in Kwara State where a student was punished for refusing to register for Islamic Religious Knowledge.

    “A Christian student in a secondary school in Kwara State had his body lacerated with cane by the Arabic Teacher because the pupil refused to do Islamic Religious Knowledge when French Teacher was not available and Christian Religious Knowledge, Hebrew or Greek were not part of the options at all.

    ” The chairman of Christian Association of Nigeria in Delta State has also called to complain that students are calling him to say that their teachers are saying that they will no longer be doing CRK as a subject again. Who is deceiving whom?

    ” As far as CAN is concerned, the curriculum is a time-bomb, obnoxious, divisive and ungodly and its implementation must be stopped until all the grey areas are addressed. Like we told the Acting President, it’s introduction is an ill-wind that blows nobody any good for so many reasons.

    ” If we are going to do pilgrimage together as a nation, there must be fair play, mutual respect for one another and justice which can be brought about by different arms of government. We demand justice from the government on this matter very quickly.

    ” We request for a return to the curriculum we were using before this dangerous one which did not produce insurgents or a wrongly indoctrinated Nigerians. It was the students that came from a school system where morning devotion was removed that are behind the insurgency and kidnappings that are happening now and then.

    ” Those of us who passed through the former system where we all did devotion in the morning and in the afternoon at closing in our schools lived together peacefully irrespective of our religions. The government must stop the operation of this new curriculum. It did not come out of a forward-looking research but a backward one. A stitch in time saves nine.

    ” We caution the Federal Government against the use of propaganda in addressing this sensitive issue because the unity of the country is at stake. We are not crying wolves where none exists.

    ” We are disappointed hearing the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu claiming that CAN was believing a piece of misinformation received from the social media.

    ” To say the least, that is a misleading statement from a Minister who is not only trying to Islamise the ministry with all the appointments he has made but denying the reality of discrimination policy under his watch.

    ” We counsel Adamu to reconcile his position with the spokesperson of his ministry who agreed that both CRK, IRK and Civic Education had been merged to become one subject before denying the reality.

    CAN further demanded “That the implementation of the curriculum must be suspended till a workshop is organised where all the stakeholders must be well represented.

    ” That the Presidency should direct the Federal Ministry of Education to publish the full details of the curriculum on its website to enable everyone know what it contains.

    ” That there was nothing wrong with the old curriculum on Christian Religious Studies and Islamic Religious Studies. What people are yearning for is a return to Civic Education and History for obvious reasons as distinct subjects.

    ”That the heads of the parastatals and agencies in the Federal Ministry of Education should be overhauled with a view to balancing the religious dichotomy. A situation where 13 of their heads are Muslims while the remaining four are Christians is an ill-wind that would blow no one any good.

    ”That the Presidency should call for a meeting of all stakeholders to look at this curriculum line by line and for all of us to own it together before implementation ” .