The Nation Newspaper

Tag: CAN

  • Hardball just kicking a CAN around

    Hardball wishes to enjoy a word game today using the abbreviation CAN. You CANnot feign ignorance of the full meaning of CAN if you are a Nigerian adult because there is only one CAN in the CANonical landscape of Nigeria today. And this CAN has been CANned or if you are morbid-minded, you may say that it has been CANnibalised and left in an unholy muck for some time now. CAN is in the thrashCAN!

    It is rather unCANny that we all have had to put up with this CANt for so long. To be CANdid, CAN has been commonised like a CANteen; those roadside bukas where anything goes. It is indeed a CANker, a CANdle in the wind. There is no doubt that the CAN hierarchy are not CANoodling themselves over this CAQNine distemper of a situation. Their faces must be heavy now and their cassocks seemingly moldy; their shoulders droop as if they bear the heavy burden of an imaginary CANgue. Yes, the yoke, the portable pillory carried by minor offenders in ancient China. That is the unspoken burden of CAN today, her CANe, her cup and her cross.

    One of the most respected influence groups in Nigeria, CAN has become like an expired CANnister – used, abused and discarded by some people possessed of what may be described as CANnite appetite. CAN CANnot sing CANtatas anymore; it must have lost its CANorous voice in a land rendered even more arid today by interlopers, wannabes and popinjays. Where once sweet alleluyahs would rise to the heavens morning, noon and night it is now silence; the overbeariQng silence of money chasers making music with currency counting machines. CAN sleeps under the dark CANopy of currencies, shielding itself from the lights of heaven.

    CAN’s sound of music has become sound of money. Money-mongering is the high gospel of the day, the CANonisation of cash. Cash must be king for CAN now or is it still Christ? The terrestrial choir has sung itself hoarse in praise worship of the majesty of Marmon. It is a wide-eyed pursuit – the more you have, the more you crave. Their choirs have lost their voices as they now chant inCANtations to their new-found gods sitting on suitcases of crisp dollar notes. Their faith need not move mountains anymore; why disturb the mountains if you can jet over them?

    Who will redeem CAN from being flushed into the odious CANal of wantonness? Alas, no CANdelabras burn for CAN anymore in this parched land. It is indeed a CANdidate for annulment. It CANnot in good conscience continue to demand our respect; CAN is today at the nadir of its existence, roiled in this CANyon of its life.

    Sprawled on this CANvas of shame, who will save CAN? The CANnon-ball is on the roll; where are the men of CANdour? In this inCANdescent time, no CANapes are served here anymore because there is sawdust in our mouth. Yes, we chew the long bitterCANe of our forgotten sin wearing sullied cassocks. Ah, we puff the long, dried CANnabis of our current sin; we relish the sugarCANdy of our wayward days when we couldn’t speak truth to power. And we have become the CANdida of this moldy age. Our CANdle flutters in the wind; we drop a tear for CAN.

  • FG as money launderer?

    FG as money launderer?

    •No explanation can remove the illegality and odium of the $9.3m cash haulage scam

    Call it serial bungling, insinuate mind-numbing corruption or official money laundering, all these tags will stick like a desperate tick on the Federal Government, considering the manner governance is conducted in Nigeria today.

    The latest in the list of this scandal-drenched environment is the report of the arrest last Monday in South Africa of a Nigerian private jet with a cash haul of $9.3 million. The jet had on board, two Nigerians and an Israeli. A curious twist in the tale however, is that the jet belongs to a well-known clergyman, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), the country’s apex Christian body. Oritsejafor is also a well-known confidant and consort of President Goodluck Jonathan.

    The Federal Government had intervened quickly on the side of the private jet crew, claiming ownership of the cash and knowledge of their mission. According to it, the cash was meant for the procurement of arms in furtherance of the raging war against insurgency in Nigeria. But the South African authorities are not convinced. By the end of last week, that country’s Asset Forfeiture Unit of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), had obtained a court order to freeze the cash.  In a statement, NPA said, “The money was initially detained by the South African Revenue Service as it was neither disclosed nor declared at Customs and was above the prescribed legal limit for the amount of cash that may be brought into the country.”

    NPA also raised questions about Nigerian authorities’ explanation that the cash was meant for arms procurement. It notes that Tier One Services Group, the firm the Nigerian government claimed it was to procure arms from is not authorised to sell or rent military hardware. Further, the invoice issued by Tier One to a Cyprus-based firm purportedly in respect of procurement of armaments also raises suspicion as to its true intent and leaves classical money laundering trails.

    There is no doubt that this singular heist has portrayed Nigeria and her government as dubious, having scant regard for rule of law and indeed anachronistic, to say the least. As the South African Authorities have pointed out, the issues here border on criminal breach of foreign exchange laws; a breach of international arms procurement conventions and has tell-tale signs of official-backed large-scale money laundering.

    The intervention of the Federal Government has also shown up Nigeria as a banana republic, a jungle nation of the 21st century where anything goes. The Federal Government makes it seem legitimate under some guises to ship out undeclared currencies through her ports. But that is not the law of the land: every sum above $10,000 must be declared and approval required before it can be ferried out. Does the Nigerian Customs have record of this cash; did they approve its shipment?

    Many more questions arise: why would the Federal Government pay cash for arms procurement? The only plausible answer is that it is buying from the black market. Why would a country of Nigeria’s status seek to purchase arms from dark alleys and corner markets patronised by terrorists and hoodlums?

    Why would government use a private jet, and why the uncanny coincidence of using one that belongs to the CAN president? And some questions for Oritsejafor: we thought he was a clergy man; now he runs a jet charter firm? He told the world he needed the jet for evangelism when Nigerians raised eyebrows over its purchase sometime ago!

    Speculations have actually been rife as to the devious uses most Nigerian owners of private jets have been putting  them to and we are now more inclined to begin to take a more critical look at ownership of private jets in Nigeria.

    In spite of all the explanations that the Federal Government has proffered, two most sacred institutions in the land have been badly tainted by this scandal – the Presidency and the church. We urge the National Assembly to look into the matter and find ways to mitigate the shame and odium it has brought to the nation.

  • South Africa, Nigeria’s $9.3m arms deal and Oritsejafor

    South Africa, Nigeria’s $9.3m arms deal and Oritsejafor

    Both the Nigerian government and Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) president, Ayo Oritsejafor, have struggled to wriggle out of the scandalous arms deal involving the smuggling of $9.3m to South Africa. So far, they have not succeeded. But given the fact that the President Goodluck Jonathan government was also unsuccessful in wriggling out of the $10bn or $12bn unaccounted oil money, it is not clear both the government and Pastor Oritsejafor will care what anyone thinks. The smuggled money was flown into a small airport Northwest of Johannesburg, South Africa, in a chartered jet by two Nigerians and an Israeli on September 5.

    The scandal of flying $9.3m undeclared into a foreign land is bad enough even without the other smaller but no less potent scandals associated with the smuggled dollars. The plane used to ferry the undeclared money into South Africa was said to be owned by the CAN president, who is also President of the Word of Life Bible Church, Warri, Delta State. He however tactically denied ownership. The plane, he says, is owned by Eagle Air Company in which he has residual interest. But, more, he added, the plane had since last month (only last month!) been leased to Green Coast Produce Limited, which operated the plane at the time of the scandal. Using the platform of CAN, Pastor Oritsejafor then accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) duo of Lai Mohammed and Nasir El-Rufai of smearing his reputation, insinuating also that the attack on his reputation had religious and political undertones.

    The bad-tempered CAN release defending Pastor Oritsejafor contains elements that sadly showed that CAN has become politicised and indefensibly entangled with the world system. Said the press release signed by Sunny Oibe, CAN’s Director of National Issues: “ Our attention has been drawn to the desperation of some elements working for a particular political party within our society to tarnish the image of the President of Christian Association of Nigeria, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor. They are working for the All Progressives Congress and they are not unknown to us. Let Nigerians have this background for them to judge themselves. These shameless characters including a former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mallam Nasir El-Rufai and National Publicity Secretary of All Progressives Congress, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, went to UK to embark on an image laundering for their political party, the APC…”

    More brazenly, the intemperate CAN statement also concluded: “ The report (that both Dr Jonathan and Pastor Oritsejafor encourage Boko Haram) is a well organised orchestrated plan, all because of their desperation for the 2015 general elections. If not for the blindness and intellectual myopia of some Nigerians, people of the calibre of El-Rufai shouldn’t be taken seriously and should not be walking on the streets….El-Rufai is more of a Street Boy whose history and antecedents are very much known. He has been the person defending Boko Haram…We are waiting and we can assure you that at the appropriate time, he and his allies will pay dearly for it. The international community sees APC as an Islamic party; instead of El-Rufai to deny that, he was busy orchestrating spurious propaganda against Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor.” In short, CAN is saying PDP is Christian, and APC is Muslim.

    However, neither the Jonathan presidency’s clumsy response to the $9.3m arms deal scandal nor Pastor Oritsejafor’s side of the story, nor yet CAN’s statement, has detracted from the scandalous maze. The undeclared money was obviously not sourced from a grocery store; it passed through the banking system one way or the other. The messengers were also representing the government, not themselves. In addition, the huge sum passed through the airport, and the supposedly eagle eyes of the relevant border agencies, which intercepts much smaller funds, could not detect it. And both Pastor Oritsejafor’s defence and CAN statement also showed what slippery slopes the clergy tread when they walk on Caesar’s highway, conducting secular business in the typically Caesarian fashion Pergamos made famous in Revelation 2, and in the ethical and idolatrous quicksand that today entraps church doctrines, church politics and church business, making them indistinguishable from the world system.

    Quite apart from the facts and fiction surrounding the $9.3m scandal, it is indeed curious that Pastor Oritsejafor little appreciates how unhealthily politicised CAN has become under him, and how dangerously parochial he and the body have become in throwing their lot with Dr Jonathan, thereby promoting schism in the church and in the body politic, and disavowing and polluting the doctrinal purity that have sanctified, promoted and defended their faith over the centuries.

  • Pastor Oritsejafor confirms link with aircraft

    Pastor Oritsejafor confirms link with aircraft

    Christian Association of Nigerian (CAN) President Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, yesterday explained his link with the Bombardier Challengers 600 jet which smuggled $9.3m cash into South Africa.

    In a statement Pastor Oritsejafor admitted having an interest in Eagle Air Company that owns the Bombardier jet. He however said he had not been operating it.

    The aircraft is with registration number N808HG.

    The pastor’s spokesman, Bayo Adewoye, in the statement on his behalf said: “The Word of Life Bible Church has been made aware of the recent media interest regarding an aircraft (Bombardier Challenger 600, Registration No N808HG) owned by The Company Eagle Air in which our Pastor, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, holds a residual interest.

    “On behalf of Pastor Oritsejafor, we can confirm that although he holds an interest in Eagle Air, the aircraft in question is not operated by Pastor Oritsejafor.

    “The aircraft owned by Eagle Air Company, who have confirmed that since August 2, 2014, the aircraft has been leased to and is operated by Green Coast Produce Limited. This is a standard practice in the industry.

    “Any and all enquiries in respect of the day-to-day operations of this aircraft are properly directed to the Management of Green Coast Produce Limited. We will be happy to help the authorities with any enquiries.”

    The Eagle Air company in another statement by Emmanuel Ohaeri, said: “Our attention has been drawn to press reports in respect of an aircraft (Bombardier Challenger 600, Registration No N808HG) in which our company holds a residual interest.

    “We wish to confirm that the said aircraft has since August 2, 2014 been leased to and is operated by Green Coast Produce Limited.”

    Admitting it operated the aircraft since August 2, Green Coast Produce Limited said it had been “running and managing charter services with the aircraft in accordance and compliance with global best practices.”

    Giving the circumstances surrounding the South African trip, Green Coast Produce spokesman Dr Shima Adun said: “On the 5th of September 2014, the aircraft was hired from us by a John Ishyaku. The charter to John Ishyaku was upon the following documented terms:

    a) Depart Abuja-Johanessburg on the 5th of September 2014

    b) Return to Abuja on the 6th of September 2014

    c) To wait and return with the passengers

    “The said terms are normative within the industry.

    “As with every other aircraft charter company, our knowledge of the cargo carried on the aircraft was in accordance with the information provided by ABC Limited.

    “All cargo were accompanied by passenger who could readily defend the contents. We are not and cannot be privy to any alleged extraneous cargo transported on the aircraft other than that declared in the agreed terms of hire.

    “We are not liable and cannot be construed as a party to any alleged infractions, either in Nigeria or South Africa as he case may be, after the hire of the aircraft.

    “We issue this statement without prejudice to any statutory or commissioned investigation being conducted or to be conducted in South Africa or Nigeria.”

    Nigerian aviation agencies avoided speaking on the South Africa incident yesterday. But an official of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) said money laundering is a criminal offence which aviation agencies have little power over.

    The NCAA official, who pleaded not to be named, described money laundering as a serious offence that the laws of aviation frowns at.

    He said:”What I can tell you now is that money laundering is a criminal offence. The matter is being handled at the two governments’ level. If at the end of the investigation the crew are found culpable, we will sanction them.”

    A source in one of the agencies hinted that the problem does not lie with either the airspace agency or airport authority as the aircraft got the necessary flight approvals including take off rights and flight plan, but it was  left for other agencies like the Nigerian Immigration Service and Nigerian Customs Service to find out the content of luggage on an aircraft .

    The source hinted that the content including foreign currencies carried by passengers on board an aircraft is the prerogative of Customs and Immigration and other agencies to check. “There is a law in place on how to carry money.”

    A security source at the Lagos Airport urged the NCAA to beam its searchlight on foreign- registered aircraft flying in the Nigerian airspace.

    The security expert warned that such aircraft should not be allowed to fly beyond their country of point of entry.

    He said :” Over 80 per cent of private aircraft in Nigeria are foreign-registered  and we have very little control over them if they are not registered in Nigeria.”

  • Politicians hijack cocoa fund, says CAN President

    The President of Cocoa Association of Nigeria CAN Mr Sayina Riman,  has cried fowl over  the  N540 million allegedly disbursed to cocoa farmers in the country.

    Riman, who  spoke to  The Nation, said  despite the determination  and tenacity of purpose of the Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Akinwumi Adesina  towards  cocoa farmers, “the implementations are far below expectation.”

    According to him, “if you are talking about accessibility of fund for cocoa farmers, the policy is not farmer’s friendly most of the banks that are saddled with this responsibility are far away from the farmers, the Bank of Industry, Agric Bank and a host of others. They put a cumbersome operational policy that was difficult for most of the illiterate cocoa farmers to understand, that is why the farmers have put their fate into their hands,”

    The CAN President lamented that “most of the agricultural  incentives went to the civil servants and their cronies. If you go to them, they will tell you that the farmers have accessed so much. If as the President of CAN,  own about 200 hectares of cocoa, yet l cannot benefit ordinary chemical incentive from the Federal Government what do you think other cocoa farmers will benefit?

    He explained that the major task before the association is how to get the data base of all the cocoa farmers.

    “As  a body, we are taking the data base and want to get all the particulars of genuine cocoa farmers in the country, we are still talking to the minister of agriculture and  commerce to be a partner  and fund the Geo-Physical Survey, GPS of all the cocoa farm in the country for easy accessibility and for research purpose.

    “This will go a long way to access any fund because we would know who get what at a particular time. You can  go to the farmers to ask if they access any of the acclaimed incentive. If they say yes, the system is through,” he said.

  • Cleric warns against violence

    Cleric warns against violence

    Rivers State Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and General-Overseer of the Royal House of Grace International Church Apostle Zilly Aggrey has cautioned politicians against “inciting crisis” in their quest for power.

    Apostle Aggrey warned that politicians would face “God’s wrath”, if they cause unrest in the state.

    Speaking in Port Harcourt yesterday on the 22nd Grace and Glory Convention of the church, which begins tomorrow and ends on Sunday, he said: “It is God that makes kings and if God has chosen one to lead, nothing can stop it.”

    To curb the spread of the Ebola Virus Disease during the convention, he said a leaflet containing the basics about the disease would be distributed to people at the beginning of the programme.

    He hailed the government’s effort to prevent a spread of the disease.

  • Ebola or no Ebola, we’ll continue to commune

    Contrary to measures taken by some churches to minimise physical contacts to fight the spread of the deadly Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) among worshippers, the Christian Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (CPFN) has vowed to continue its activities without restraint.

    The CPFN, a bloc in the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) comprising of all apostolic churches said worship activities will continue without caution because its members are immune against the Ebola virus.

    It added that it has educated its members on how to protect themselves and will not be taking further preventive measures.

    Lagos State chairman of the body, Pastor Joshua Ibidapo, stated these while speaking with reporters ahead of convocation with the theme: Apostolic fathers’ blessings slated for August 24.

    It holds at the Apostolic Church head office LAWNA, Ketu.

    Speaking on how Christians can overcome the spread of the virus, which has killed over 1,000 in West Africa, Ibidapo said: “God gave us the privilege to trample and sicknesses so such is not our portion if we live a life of holiness.

    “God will soon drive the virus away from the country and it will be a thing of the past just like He did other diseases just as bird flu and polio.”

    Giving a rundown of the programme of events, the cleric added that it will feature prayer sessions to bring about good tidings in the nation, state and church as a whole.

  • I need a scholarship to complete my theological studies

    I need a scholarship to complete my theological studies

    I AM a student of Jos ECWA Theological Seminary in Plateau State. I may be thrown out of the school any time from now because of the lack of finance to continue my education.

    This is why I am appealing to the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) or any practising Christian to help me out of this terrible situation by giving me a scholarship to complete my studies.

     

    Nissi,

    Jos,

    Plateau State.

  • How to stop Boko Haram, by Oritsejafor

    How to stop Boko Haram, by Oritsejafor

    THE president of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, has called on all Muslims, including religious, traditional and political leaders in the north to counter the destructive ideology of the radical Islamic sect, Boko Haram.

    He said only Muslims can come up with a better ideology that will demobilise the one promoted by Boko Haram, which has led to loss of lives and property.

    Oritsejafor gave the charge at the 11th anniversary\prize-giving day and the 6th valedictory service of Stephen Centre International Group of Schools in Ogun State.

    He said that Boko Haram is propelled by a religious ideology and must be countered with a superior ideology through massive awareness by Muslims across the country.

    The CAN’s helmsman noted that Islam is a good religion but lamented that Boko Haram insurgents are painting it in bad light, urging Muslims to redress the development.

    He dismissed the notion that the terror war unleashed by the insurgents was borne out of poverty.

    Boko Haram’s late leader, Mohammed Yusuf, and Farouk Abdulmutalab who attempted blowing up a KLM flight heading to the United States of America in 2009, according to him, were not poor.

    He explained that pumping millions of dollars to the north in an attempt to fight poverty will not stop the rising terror war since it is ideological.

    He said that prayer remains the only way out of the insurgency, stating, “The unwarranted attacks, the destructions of properties, have created distress for every Nigerian.

    “The solution to the insurgency we are facing in the country is for all Nigerians to continue to pray for Nigeria.”

    The Executive Director of Stephen Centre International Group of Schools, Mr. Isaac Newton-Wusu, stated that the home is for displaced victims of the insurgency in the north.

    No fewer than 424 children orphaned by Boko Haram and 84 others from riots in the north are in the home, he stated.

    “We do not give children away for adoption. We just try to give them hope in everything,” he stated.

  • CAN, CWI to honour Archbishop Atilade

    CAN, CWI to honour Archbishop Atilade

    The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Southwest Regional Chapter, the Christian Welfare initiative (CWI), in collaboration with the Atilade family will tomorrow hold an interfaith symposium in honour of Archbishop Magnus Adeyemi Atilade in Lagos.

    The theme of the symposium is: Towards A New Nigeria – A Paradigm Shift, while a Biography, “Breakthrough News”, will be presented at the ceremony to be attended by a cream of eminent personalities, captains of industries and religious leaders across the world.

    A statement by the Programme Organising Committee Secretary, Professor Gbolahan Alao, said the event, organised as part of Archbishop Atilade’s 70th Birthday, will hold at the Yoruba Tennis Club, Onikan, Lagos.