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Nigeria Won’t Have Peace If FG Fails To Ensure Peace in Southern Kaduna – CAN President

The President, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), his eminence, Rev Dr Samson Olasupo Ayokunle has warned the Nigerian government that there would not be a genuine peace in the country if it failed to ensure peace in the Southern Kaduna.

The leadership of CAN was in Kafanchan on Thursday in solidarity with the victims of the murderous Fulani herdsmen in the area who have allegedly killed them in thousands, burnt down some houses and took over their farmlands.
Ayokunle who disclosed that the organisation donated relief materials worth N8 million gave the conditions while addressing journalists in Kafanchan also cautioned President Muhammadu Buhari against becoming a sectional leader with his avoiding granting audience to CAN.
Said he, “We came here because we realised what you people are passing through.  We may not have much to give you  physically, but identifying with you will tell you that you are not alone in this situation.
“Until people of Southern Kaduna have their peace, Nigeria will not have peace. It is the duty of the government to ensure that Southern Kaduna and other part of the country struggling with herdsman are brought under control.

“So, peace in Southern Kaduna is a task that must be accomplished.  Those troubling Southern Kaduna must be brought to book, and prosecuted.  Their gun must be taken away and sources of weapon prosecuted. If government fails to prosecute them they are not sincere.  These are the conditions that government must fulfilled.”

He encouraged the Internally Displaced Persons who came in their hundreds to meet with the leadership of CAN “not to lose hope, and  not to think of retaliation, not to allow your faith fail amidst the traumatic experiences you are going through. Let me assure you, our God, the Lord of Host is with you and he surely fight your battles for you”.

The CAN president tasked those in the position of authority to cease paying lips service to perceived discrimination, injustice, and misuse of power. He asks government and security agencies to stop “looking elsewhere when people are being killed, property destroyed and bring turned into refuge on their lands.
He reminded the security agencies that it was only “mutual respect for people of all ethnic groups and all religions. It is when we do all these that we can do pilgrimage together.”

On the relationship between the Christian body and the Federal Government, Ayokunle who doubled as the President of the Nigerian Baptist Convention explained that his leadership was ready to meet with him “if the door opens” for dialogue.

 “We have seen the Vice president and if the door opens again we will see them. But you know that currently the president of the country has not has time to see CAN. To be a president of the nation, no group in the country should be sidelined otherwise he will continue to be a sectional president  and that will go in history against him as a president who is not broad-minded who decided to sideline a group of people….anyway it is not necessary to see him but it will be beneficial to the nation,” he said.
Speaking further, he said, “to the security agents, we thank God for what they are doing but we must let them know that if they are posted to a region and problem still occur they will be held responsible.  They are not posted to mount road blocks. They must not be looking other side when evil is going on.”
He asked the Federal Government to rehabitate all the victims of what the people in the area call genocide and rebuild all the burnt property.
“it is the duty of government to placade the people, appeal to them by making sure that they do justice,  not only to the people that caused the mayhem but also by rebuilding all the properties brought down.”
Ayokunle however encouraged the victims of the endless attacks “not to lose hope, and  not to think of retaliation,  rather they should make their course to God.

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The CAN president emphasised  that what could lead to peaceful co-existence was justice to all, pointing out that not the one with just the world of mouth but the one that would be seen physically.

“Mutual respect for people of all ethnic groups and all religions. It is when we do all these that we can do pilgrimage together.”

On the perceived cold war between the Federal Government and the Christian umbrella, Ayokunle said; “We have seen the Vice president and if the door opens again we will see them. But you know that currently the president of the country has not has time to see CAN.
“To be a president of the nation, no group in the country should be sidelined otherwise he will continue to be a sectional president  and that will go in history against him as a president who is not broad-minded who decided to sideline a group of people….anyway it is not necessary to see him but it will be beneficial to the nation”.

He stressed that, “to the security agents, we thank God for what they are doing but we must let them know that if they are posted to a region and problem still occur they will be held responsible.  They are not posted to mount road blocks. They must not be looking other side when evil is going on.”

He urged the government to rehabilitate all the properties that have been vandalised,  houses, and  churches burnt down, adding that, “it is the duty of government to placade the people, appeal to them by making sure that they do justice,  not only to the people that caused the mayhem but also by rebuilding all the properties brought down.”

The leadership of CAN visited some of the affected communities where the delegation saw burnt houses and cars before wen to Banawa Baptist Church, Kafanchan.
The delegation include the Vice President CAN, Elder Prof Joseph Otubu, the General Secretary, Rev Dr Musa Asake, the FCT CAN Chairman, Rev Jonah Samson, the Chaplin, National Christian Centre, Bishop Ogunmuyiwa,   and a host of others.
All the religious leaders and traditional rulers who met with the CAN team indicted the security agencies and the Kaduna State Government of insincerity, biases, injustice and partiality.

 

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