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Tag: CAN

  • Attack on Ibinabo: Northern actor takes side

    Attack on Ibinabo: Northern actor takes side

    A notable Hausa actor has pitched tent with the president of Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Ms Ibinabo Fiberesima, who came under attacks recently, over comments she made during her visit to President Goodluck Jonathan, in Abuja.

    Fellow actress, Clarion Chukwurah decried the visit, saying it was politically motivated.

    Chukwurah also faulted Ibinabo’s claim that AGN is the only umbrella body for screen actors in Nigeria, saying the statement demeaned the existence of an older association, the Association of National Theatre Practitioners (ANTP).

    Ibinabo visited the Villa of February 18, with other members of the guild, where they made the president the Grand Patron of AGN.

    Other actors like John Okafor (Mr. Ibu) and Charles Novia had also lashed at Fiberesima at different times, but Chukwura’s onslaught was more pronounced.

    In a two-page release titled: IBINABO FIBERESIMA AND THE AGN VISIT TO PRESIDENT GEJ: SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT, Chukwura who called for the resignation of the AGN president, said the request by the latter, for an Abuja secretariat for the AGN, as well as political appointments for actors was beggarly.

    The issue took another dimension, when the Vice President of AGN for North West zone, Mallam Salihu Othman Isah (Hotman) told Ibinabo’s attackers to hold their peace. According to Hotman, “the visit to Mr. President was well intended, just like other spheres of the society, whose associations or group leaderships have visited Aso Rock on courtesy calls.”

    Hotman said Ibinabo’s attackers chose to find fault in the visit, because they were not invited as part of the entourage.

    “What is special in our visit to Aso Rock anyway? Other groups have visited without anyone making any fuss out of it. We have seen where the lawyers’ body, journalists, architects, engineers, medical groups and associations, even National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Ja’amatu Nasril Islam (JNI) and other religious bodies have gone there and no one raised an eyebrow. So how is the AGN different?”

    He said Ibinabo couldn’t have accommodated everybody on the visit, and that those who didn’t make the list should not take it as disregard for their person or contribution to the film industry. “This could be an oversight too, which is human. So, they should desist from any form of criticisms henceforth.”

    He said contrary to Novia’s assertion that the group went to collect handout from the Villa, “I

    want to let him and his likes know that the Ibinabo Fiberesima-led National Executive Council (NEC), with all good intention, went to visit Mr. President to request for assistance to build our national headquarters in Abuja, among other things. It was not to beg for any handout or take our share of national cake as being perceived.”

    Since the attacks, Ibinabo has not reacted personally to the allegations.

     

  • Enugu Pilgrims terminal ready

    Immediate past Chairman of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) South-East zone, Bishop Emmanuel Chukwuma has expressed happiness over the completion and use of the Pilgrims Terminal at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport Enugu as take off point by Christian pilgrims to the Holy Land.

    The pilgrims terminal was completed by the immediate past minister of aviation, Princess Stella Oduah .

    Bishop Chukwuma, who is also the Bishop of Enugu Diocese of the Anglican Communion,told journalists in Enugu at the weekend after the ceremonies to mark the departure of Anambra pilgrims to this year’s Easter pilgrimage to Israel that Akanu Ibiam International Airport has indeed become international as that was the fourth time pilgrims would use the airport facility as take-off point to the Holy Land. This, he noted, has saved the pilgrims the stress of first flying to Lagos, as was the practice in the past, before the upgrading of the Enugu Airport, before jetting out of the country.

    “We are now happy that we are packaging our pilgrims from Akanu Ibiam Airport. This is the fourth state; the first state we packaged from here was Abia state, the next one was Ebonyi state, the third one was Enugu state last year, and Anambra state now being packaged for Easter Pilgrimage. We are happy that the Atlas Jet is taking them from Enugu Akanu Ibiam Airport, making this place an international airport indeed and we feel so happy.”

    “So we are hoping that the pilgrims will go as good Ambassadors of Nigeria and will allow this pilgrimage to go through them so that they can be transformed and come back not the same again but transformed to be better Christians to influence others.

  • Clerics urge pilgrims to be good ambassadors

    The former Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Southeast zone, Bishop Emmanuel Chukwuma, has hailed the completion and use of the Pilgrims Terminal at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu.

    The bishop of Enugu Diocese of the Anglican Communion, spoke to reporters in Enugu at the weekend, after the ceremonies to mark the departure of Anambra pilgrims to Israel that the airport had become an international one.

    He said: “We are happy that our pilgrims are travelling from Akanu Ibiam Airport. This is the fourth state. The first state we packaged from here was Abia, the next one was Ebonyi, the third was Enugu. Anambra is now being packaged for the Easter pilgrimage and we are happy that the Atlas Jet is taking them from Akanu Ibiam Airport, making this place an international airport.

    “We are hoping that the pilgrims will be good ambassadors and will allow the pilgrimage to go through them so that they can be transformed. We hope they will be transformed to be better Christians and influence others.

    “We thank the Southeast governors for what they have done to make sure that this year’s pilgrimage is a success. We pray it will continue.”

    The Federal Commissioner, Nigeria Christians Pilgrims Commission (NCPC), Rev. Zion Solomon Ibenye, described the launch of the Easter pilgrimage as superb, noting that everything went as planned.

    “Federal Government is committed to the project and the state governments in the Southeast are also committed,” he said.

    Anambra State Governor Peter Obi, who represented President Goodluck Jonathan, performed the launching.

    Addressing the pilgrims before their departure, the Executive Secretary of (NCPC), John Kennedy Opara, thanked the President for allowing the pilgrims to be be flown fromAkanu Ibiam International Airport.

    The Primate of the Anglican Communion, who also chairs the NCPC, Most Rev. Nicholas Okoh, prayed for those who made the pilgrimage possible.

  • ‘We’re negotiating for return of mission schools in Osun’

    ‘We’re negotiating for return of mission schools in Osun’

    The South-West chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Archbishop Magnus Atilade, spoke with Sunday Oguntola on the Osun schools merger policy and sundry issues affecting Christianity in Nigeria. Excerpts:

    Just some few days ago, you were part of the Christian delegation that held a private meeting with the Osun State governor over the policy on mergers of schools. What did you come away with?

    Well, we thank God for the opportunity to meet and brainstorm with the governor. We have been able to sort out some of the grey areas. On dressing, we agreed that the students should have uniforms that will unite, not divide them based on religious identities. That is the essence of having school uniforms; it would be wrong to make them feel different from the others because of religion.

    We don’t want to have religious bigots right from secondary school days. Those of us who are adults have friends from other religions and we relate well. So, why do we want our children not to follow suit? Whatever will accentuate our differences should be removed.

    We have told the governor we want the use of hijab as parts of uniforms in Christian mission schools to be stopped. In the public schools, the students can put on whatever is considered appropriate but not in Christian mission schools.

    Has the governor agreed to that?

    Well, we are still talking and negotiating. You see this kind of meeting cannot be one-off. It’s still an ongoing process. The process has already started.

    What else did you raise with the governor?

    We also discussed the return of mission schools to their original owners. Lagos did it and we can see the differences. All the cries wouldn’t have arisen had the schools been run by their original owners.

    What is the governor’s disposition to this?

    Well, I will not want to speculate. I will just say again that we are still negotiating on this.

    You have been very close to the governor long before he was elected. Does he strike you as someone with a capacity for religious fundamentalism as he has been accused of?

    Deep within me, I don’t suspect or believe that he has any leaning towards religious fundamentalism. We have both been socialists for a long time and related as such. As socialists, we differentiate between religion and politics. The two do not mix at all. That is why I took up this case seriously.

    I believe that he has good intentions and the people of Osun can testify that he has developed the state. Yes, nobody is perfect and when someone comes up with a decision that has negative impacts or reactions, one must be able to reverse it. Osun has always been peaceful.

    Former Governor Bisi Akande ruled the state without any problem. We had a Christian-Christian ticket during the Oyinlola’s years and there was no problem. Why is it that it is now with all the developments we have seen that the state is witnessing this crisis? I believe that this crisis is very unnecessary and it should not be able to fester. That is why we intervened that anything that will disturb the peace should not be allowed, for any reason.

    Osun State government has always insisted that the opposition is fanning the ember of religious crisis. Do you agree with this?

    They can fan only what has been planted. The governor should not give them an opportunity to discredit his good works or fan the ember of crisis. As close as I am to the governor, our friendship and comradeship will end once I suspect he is trying to injure his faith. I will continue to love and support him as long as he does not act against my faith while I won’t dare do anything against his religion too. In the same vein, I will not want any Christian governor to harm the Islamic faith.

    What would be your message to Christians in Osun who have believed rightly or wrongly that there seems to be an agenda against them?

    My message would be that they should be calm, patient and be peaceful until this process that has been initiated is concluded. They should believe we are working things out and everything will be fine sooner than they expect. We have to be vigilant and be prayerful. We have to maintain a process where we can always dialogue. We should never close the doors against one another.

    There are things in the pipeline that will sort the crisis out. For example, as soon as the governor is able to provide schools, those students who want to be in public schools can move there while those who want to be in mission schools can remain.

    The killings and persecutions of Christians up north continue unabated. Isn’t there something that can be done?

    It is appalling that people are just being killed because they belong to another religion. If Christians do it, I will say it is wrong. If it is against Christians, it is wrong. This insurgency is something that government must tackle headlong. Aside from the religious angle, just the act of killing is condemnable and illegal, against every sense of reasoning.

    I think we must all stand against it. Muslims must speak out now before it is too late. On our part, we are building coalitions with Muslims to speak out against this evil. Last week, we held a meeting with Al-Mustapha. We are planning to meet the Sultan and former President Babangida. We must all stand and speak against killing, for any reason.

    Just some days ago, former Head of State, Muhammadu Buhari, for the first time, spoke against Boko Haram. That is the way others should go. Prominent Muslims must speak out and let these guys know they are giving the religion a bad name and image.

    Are you worried that religion is taking the front burner in the run-off to the 2015 elections?

    Well, I think we have to be careful not to promote injustice against any religion. Most people are crying foul now because they sense that one religion seems to be having an edge every time over the others. That is why some of us are saying we want a Christian governor in Lagos because since the return of democracy, no Christian has ruled the state. If it is not by design, let’s have something different. It’s just the cry of balance and justice that are promoting these cries.

    Does it matter what religion one belongs to when it comes to governance?

    It matters to an extent as long as there is open, level playing field. But we want to admit that Christians shot ourselves in the foot when we stayed away from politics. We should move in and reform politics.

    If elective offices are ceded to Christians, can the church agree on candidacy?

    Yes, we can and that is what we are doing. We want candidates to come forward for screening and we can produce the best that will be acceptable and has the fear of God as well as the love of the people to deliver.

    What is the situation with the peace talks over Lagos CAN?

    The crisis has been on now for like 18 years. Both parties have realised that this is not doing anybody any good. This crisis must be resolved now. The people involved are getting tired themselves. So, we are still in talks to reform things. We want new people who can run the body since both sides cannot resolve the crisis. We might conduct elections very soon.

    How soon?

    You know the church is a conservative organisation. So, I cannot confirm when the talks will be over. But we are at it and we would soon overcome.

  • CAN protests in Benue

    CAN protests in Benue

    Members of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Benue State staged yesterday a peaceful protest in Makurdi against incessant attacks on farmers by Fulani herdsmen.

    About 7am, the protesters from the 23 local government areas converged on Wurukum roundabout, accompanied by security operatives. They marched on the Government House.

    They rejected the grazing land bill, saying it would cause more damage.

    Led by the Chairman, Bishop Yiman Orkwa, the protesters submitted a letter to Governor Gabriel Suswam for President Goodluck Jonathan.

    The protesters called for the closure of the Makurdi International Cattle Market, saying it is a route for arms importation.

    Suswam praised the protesters and promised to give their letter to the President.

  • CAN, PFN leaders hail Rivers gov on commitment to justice

    THE leaders of Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Rivers State Chapter and local branches of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) have commended Rivers State governor and Chairman of Nigerian Governors’ Forum, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi for his achievements. They, however, urged him to remain strong and expect victory from the Lord for his political battles. The leaders of the two groups, who also prayed for the governor, spoke when they paid a courtesy visit to him at the Government House, Port Harcourt. Speaking on behalf of the Pentecostal Leaders’ Forum, Dr Minaebi Dagogo-Jack, said they came to appreciate Governor Amaechi for his commitment justice and good governance. “We are here to appreciate you for your stand for justice, your stand for good governance, your stand for true development for more than six years in Rivers State. We are also here to encourage you to remain faithful as you have always been in God and also to pray with you so as to increase your faith. We are not unaware of the condemnable fight against you and particularly against Rivers State by agents who do not want the peace and progress of Rivers State at heart. “God has brought you to fight for the poor people. We are here to encourage you in this light that keep on having faith in God, the battle is of the Lord and he who is with God is of majority”, Dr Dagogo-Jack said. He said Rivers State is at the centre of the propagation of the gospel of Jesus Christ, so God would secure the state against any political aggression. Also speaking, Rev. Georgewill Peter, on behalf of CAN chapters in the local government areas, noted with delight the aggressive contributions of the governor to the state, and described the governor as one sent by God to salvage His people, and expressed the support of CAN to his administration.

  • CAN urges govt to probe Boko Haram’s sources of weapons

    CAN urges govt to probe Boko Haram’s sources of weapons

    The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) yesterday urged the Federal Government to investigate the sources of sophisticated weapons and ammunition that Boko Haram, gunmen and Fulani herdsmen were using in the North.

    The association said the Goodluck Jonathan administration should also expose the sponsors of killer groups across the country.

    It noted that from Borno, Yobe and Adamawa to Plateau, Nasarawa, Benue and Kaduna states, the gory stories of killings through shooting, burning of Christians’ homes and their churches were becoming too rampant with the security situation getting worse.

    CAN said in Plateau State alone, it recorded over 100 dead Christians within a month – between January 6, and February 6.

    In a communiqué read yesterday by its General Secretary, Rev. Musa Asake, after this year’s first National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Abuja, the umbrella Christian body expressed concern about “the insecurity challenges that have continued to face us as a nation and Christians in particular in our dear country, Nigeria”.

    It said: “As Fulani herdsmen get increasingly sophisticated with each attack, the National Executive Committee of CAN calls on the Federal Government to investigate the sources of the weapons and ammunition used by the Boko Haram, gunmen and Fulani herdsmen in their various attacks and also expose their sponsors.

    “CAN recorded the death of over 100 Christians in one month – between January 6 and February 6. At least 30 people sustained various degrees of injury. Recently, these evil men disguised as soldiers, went inside a Catholic Church while the church was in session, locked the doors and killed the worshipers.”

    It also urged the Federal Government to put in place an enduring system to curtail the Boko Haram insurgency, attacks by gunmen and Fulani herdsmen.

    The umbrella Christian body noted that the “three agents of evil” had a carefully planned and executed agenda against Christians, using simultaneous approaches.

    CAN said: “The Federal Government should come up with an efficient and enduring system that can overwhelm the resurgence of Boko Haram, gunmen and Falani herdsmen who are prowling villages, shooting and killing innocent Christians. At a time we should have been enjoying peace through articulated and sustained security programmes, the scourge of Boko Haram, gunmen and Fulani herdsmen has continued to pose serious problems to Christians, particularly those living in the North.

    “In particular, we want the Federal Government to investigate the killing of the Kankia Pastor, who was murdered in cold blood on allegation that a body was found near his house. Arrest and prosecution of those found to have taken part in the dastardly act…”

  • CAN to FG: Stop the impending genocide now

    The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Kaduna State on Thursday warned against allowing the killings in the southern part of the state and in parts of Plateau State to snowball into some kind of genocide reminiscent of the development in the Central African Republic.

    The Chairman of the Christian umbrella body in the state and Catholic Bishop of Zaria, Bishop George Dodo, also condemned the weekend killing of Zaria-based Islamic cleric, Sheikh Mohammed Awwal-Albani, his son, Abdallah and wife by yet to be identified gunmen.

    Bishop Dodo said that whatever reasons that led to the killing of the cleric and member of his family, dialogue, remained the best way to resolve the differences.

    He said that government should take immediate steps to address the killings in the two local government areas.

    He Pointed out that the killings in the local government were unacceptable, more so that the perpetrators got away unscathed.

    He wondered why nobody has been brought to book over the attack, adding that those that committed the atrocities are human beings and not spirits and therefore warned that something should be done to apprehend those responsible before things gets out of hands.

     

  • CAN decries persecution of Christians in the north

    Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), South West Zone, Archbishop Magnus Atilade, has decried the growing threat to lives and property of Christians in the northern parts of the country.

    He spoke at a media conference by the body in conjunction with Christian Welfare Initiative (CWI) in Lagos.

    According to him: “The brutality, cruelty and inhuman manner in which Christians in the north are being systematically and consistently slaughtered by Islamic fundamentalists has reached an alarming proportion that we are compelled to speak out. This is inhuman.”

    He cited the 2013 World Watch List report, which states that 66% of Christians killed globally were Nigerians.

    Atilade said: “We are, however, disturbed and very alarmed at the rate and consistency with which Christians are being slaughtered in northern Nigeria, in a manner similar to the genocide in Rwanda.

    “As a result of these crises, thousands of Christian men, women and children have been murdered, children have become orphans, women are widowed, children are fatherless, while innumerable Christian men and women have been maimed and mutilated.

    “It is unbelievable that in this age and period, human beings could descend to such level of inhuman barbarity and cruelty while claiming a divine mandate.”

    Atilade continued: “Nigeria belongs to every Nigerian and we advocate peaceful coexistence of all the various groups in the nation.

    “Whoever wishes to be a Muslim should remain a Muslim and whoever wishes to remain a Christian should remain a Christian.

    “Each man should live according to the convictions of his heart without intimidation or oppression from any other group.”

    The cleric noted that it is equally disheartening that even moderate Muslims that do not seem to support these agents of death and destruction are also targeted and killed by members of the Boko Haram group.

  • CAN protests Fulani attacks in Benue

    CAN protests Fulani attacks in Benue

    Activities were disrupted yesterday in Makurdi, Benue State, following a protest by the youth wing of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).

    The youths were protesting the incessant killing of farmers by suspected Fulani herdsmen.

    Over 150 protesters marched on the streets, carrying placards which read: “Fulani have killed our families”; “Fulani have set our houses ablaze”; “Fulani have rendered us homeless”.

    They presented a letter at the Government House. Receiving the letter on behalf of Governor Gabriel Suswam, Chief of Staff, Government House, Prof Saint Gbilekaa, praised the youths for their peaceful conduct.

    He said government would find a solution to the crisis.

    Gbilekaa said a meeting with the acting governor, commissioner of police and security agencies showed that most of the attackers come through the Nasarawa State boundary. “Soon the issue would be addressed,” he said.

    Speaking for the protesters, Daniel Danayali said residents were being killed with impunity.

    He said: “Nothing is being done by the government or security agencies.

    ‘’If Fulani herdsmen can easily attack a Makurdi suburb, nobody in the state capital should think he is safe.

    “We call on the government to take steps to protect the people.”