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Tag: Christian elders

  • Christian elders fault CAN’s visit to Buhari

    The National Christian Elders Forum (NCEF) has described the visit of the President of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. Samson Ayokunle, with some CAN officials and Christian leaders to President Muhammadu Buhari on his victory in the just concluded 2019 presidential election as shocking.

    NCEF disassociated itself from the visit claiming that it is: “sub judice” as the determination of who won the 2019 General Election is still in Court. It is therefore premature and presumptuous for anyone to congratulate President Buhari for “winning” an election that is contested in Court.”

    The forum said the visit which was made last week is also not in the interest of Christians.

    A statement issued in Abuja on Monday by the  Chairman of NCEF, Solomon Asemota, (SAN) said: “The National Christian Elders Forum (NCEF) was shocked to read in the news that the President of CAN, Rev. Dr. Samson Olasupo Ayokunle, with some CAN Officials and Christian leaders paid a “congratulatory” visit to President Muhammadu Buhari on his purported victory in the 2019 General Elections.

    “The NCEF wishes to state that the congratulatory visit to Aso Villa by CAN could not be in the interest of Nigerian Christians who daily bear the agony of thousands of their brethren being killed, maimed, displaced and marginalized in the Jihad launched in the northern parts of the country. It is well known the indifference of the Buhari Administration to the murder of Christians all over the country. This indifference has led many, including foreign observers, to conclude that the Buhari Administration is complicit in the genocide that is taking place in Nigeria.

    “The action of the CAN President, Rev. Samson Olasupo Ayokunle, is a further confirmation of all the protests and petitions of NCEF in 2018 querying the faithfulness of Dr. Ayokunle to Christ and to His Church. In its 2018 Report titled FACTORS HINDERING CHRISTIAN POLITICAL CONSENSUS FOR 2019 ELECTION, the NCEF provided irrefutable facts that Rev. Ayokunle deliberately frustrated Christian political consensus in a country in which religion has become a major factor in politics. With this ill-advised congratulatory visit to President Buhari, it should be clear to every Christian of good conscience that Rev. Ayokunle is running CAN as an appendage of APC which has proven by its religiously popularism biased appointments and policies that it is primarily a religious party that is to the disadvantage of Christians whom Rev. Ayokunle claims to be representing.

    “It would be recalled that during the Elections, Rev. Ayokunle presumptuously deployed a 1,000 man CAN Election Observers team to monitor the Elections nationwide. The action was presumptuous since CAN does not have the Constitutional responsibility of engaging politics. Christian leaders deliberately established Christian Social Movement of Nigeria (CSMN) for this purpose in 2001 as the socio-political arm of the Church. Nonetheless, after observing the Elections, the 1,000 man CAN Election Observers is yet to release its Report before CAN rushed to congratulate one of the contestants. Since all the other Observers have since released their Reports, where is the Report of the CAN Observers Team?”

    REad also: CAN’s post-election visit to Buhari sparks quarrel

    According to NCEF, notable arm of the Church, the Catholic Church, did not join the delegation that went to congratulate President Buhari adding that: “This would be consistent with the Communiqué issued by the Catholic Church expressing concern about the Elections and advising that dissatisfied individuals should seek recourse in court of law. This in the view of NCEF is how a Christian body should respond to issues of this nature.

    “NCEF is making these points for record purposes so that in years to come, if any further evil befalls Christianity in Nigeria, no one would claim ignorance of the issues that led to the emasculation of the Church. As Christian Elders, we affirm that it was ill-advised and ill-motivated for anyone claiming to represent the Body of Christ to rush to congratulate President Buhari pending the determination of the suit in Court.

    “Presently, Christians are mourning over 200 people murdered in Kajuru and Adara in southern Kaduna. There are increasing reports of Clergy routinely kidnapped and murdered in Middle Belt and parts of the North. These are in addition to genocide in Benue, Taraba, Plateau, and other parts of southern Kaduna. So far, no arrest has been made and no one has been prosecuted. Therefore, for any Christian leader to go and shake the hand of the man who has done nothing to stop the genocide is morally and spiritually reprehensible.

    “In addition to the concerns expressed above, it should be remembered that we all witnessed the debacles during the campaigns for the 2019 Elections as well as the violent conduct of the Elections. We witnessed the widespread application of “inconclusive” Elections where the opposition party had upper hand. We saw with regret the way Kano, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Benue, Lagos, Taraba, Bayelsa, and Plateau states Election, amongst others, were handled. The campaign debate and Presidential interview exposed the competence and capability of the candidates and Nigerians spoke through their votes and expressed their preference. Therefore, the will of the people must not be subverted. It is wrong for anyone, or any group of people, to seek to use CAN to legitimize an illegality. That congratulatory visit, we insist, was not on behalf of Nigerian Christians.

    “Fortunately for the NCEF, in making this clarification, no one can accuse the Christian Elders of religious bigotry or ethnic discrimination since both front runners are Muslims from the North and of the same ethnic stock. In the same vein, no one could say that NCEF is holding brief for any political party since NCEF neither supported any political party nor adopted any candidate during the elections. The interest of NCEF is that Democracy should be permitted to flourish and prevail in Nigeria. As President Goodluck Jonathan demonstrated in 2015, the will of the people must not be subverted. We are no longer in the era of Military coup in which individual(s) can impose themselves as rulers over the nation. This is Democracy and the will of the people must not be subverted.  Any attempt to kill democracy by a President who subverts the very process that brought him to power under the instrumentality of stealth and conventional jihad must be resisted and rejected.

    “NCEF aligns itself with the stand of the ethnic nationalities in South West, South East, South South and Middle Belt Zones that the Judiciary should perform its rightful oversight and ensure that the rightful winner of the 2019 Elections is sworn into office in May 29, 2019. If the Judiciary, for whatever reason, is unable to take a stand and defend the will of the people then Nigeria would have destroyed Democracy and signed on as a fascist state.”

     

     

  • 2019: Christian Elders advocate credible alternatives

    The National Christian Elders Forum (NCEF) has called on Nigerians to consider credible alternatives in the run-off to the 2019 general elections.

    The forum with members such as Gen. Joshua Dongoyaro(Rtd), Gen Lawani Lekwot(Rtd), Ambassador Moses Ihonde, General Theophilus Danjuma(Rtd), Justice James Ogebe(Rtd), Dame Priscilla Kuye, Prof Yussuf Turaki and Elder Shyngle Wiwge among others said Nigeria do not have to choose the “lesser of the two evils”.

    General Secretary of the forum, Pastor Bosun Emmanuel, who spoke with reporters on Friday in Lagos alongside some members, said “evil should not be an option for Nigerians anymore.”

    He said: “Rather than propose “two evils for Nigerians to choose from, NCEF proposes righteousness as the flagstaff for the new President

    “NCEF suggests that the third option should be a ‘righteous’ leader from any part of the country.”

    The elders lamented the two leading parties have failed the nation for almost 20 years, pointing out so many have been impoverished and pauperised since the return to democratic rule in 1999.

    Instead of resigning to fate, the Christian elders appealed to Nigerians to “think new and develop new mindsets. What Nigeria needs are new leaders, new faces, new methods, new political parties so that a new nation can emerge.”

    They added: “The 2019 election is very crucial for our survival. Ir should not be won by the same selfish people so that Nigeria may not become a fascist nation.

    “We call on the middle class, irrespective of religion, tribe, ethnicity or gender to become actively involved in the process of electing a new President.

    “The middle class holds the key to the outcome of this election as it stands between the elites and the grass roots.”

    They urged Nigerians to shun financial inducement, warning momentary gratification can lead to eternal regret.

    The elders called on presidential candidates from the other parties to harmonise their positions and come up with a consensus on one of them to back as a credible alternative.

    They appealed to the candidates to shun personal agenda and work together with the consensus arrangement to save the nation.

    “A new Nigeria is possible. A Nigeria that is peaceful, prosperous and progressive is possible in our generation.

    “However Nigerians must first develop a new mindset. The first step is to develop new standards for our leaders. We are calling on Nigerians to think new. We must deliberately cultivate and nurture a new generation of leaders,” the elders insisted.

  • Christian elders back Danjuma on self-defence

    The National Christian Elders Forum (NCEF) has supported calls by Lt General Theophilus Danjuma (Rtd) on Nigerians to defend themselves against rampaging Fulani herdsmen.

    The group said Danjuma was in order to advocate self-defence in the light on the non-prosecution of herdsmen for the numerous killings of Nigerians.

    In a statement by its chairman, Solomon Asemota, the elders some of whom include Gen. Joshua Dogonyaro (rtd), Justice James Ogebe, JSC (rtd), Gen. Zamani Lekwot (rtd), Elder Moses Ihonde, Elder Nat Okoro, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife, Chief Debo Omotosho, Dame Priscilla Kuye and Professor Yussuf Turaki, among others also alleged the composition of the nation’s security apparatus was in favour of the north.

    They pointed out all the key positions in Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Interior, State Security Services, Police, Customs, Immigration, Office of National Security Adviser, Army, Civil Defense, Prisons are held by Muslims from the North.

    According to the elders: “The NCEF stands with Danjuma and the Christian Elders support him totally that Nigerians should make adequate arrangements to defend themselves.

    “For a very reserved and conciliatory Elder statesman like Gen. Danjuma to speak in the way that he did, it should be clear to all discerning persons that the situation is hitting a boiling point. There is still time for sanity to prevail.”

    The group condemned the Sharia Council for canvassing prosecution of Danjuma over his support for self-defence.

    It wondered why the Council has not called for prosecution of aggressors “who maim and destroy lives at will over the country.”

    “In view of the foregoing, the unfortunate statement by the Sharia Council is an open indication that the current genocide going on in Nigeria is deliberate, intentional and government complicit.

    “Those who condemn residents for securing their houses yet do not condemn the thieves raiding them are undoubtedly the thieves,” the elders added.

    On the alleged concentration of security infrastructure with northerners, they said: “This is a total violation of the Constitution of which the Buhari administration should be totally condemned and thoroughly rebuked.”

    The group called on President Muhammadu Buhari to secure the release of Leah Sharibu, the only Dapchi girl with Boko Haram abductors.

    “The National Christian Elders Forum insists that there is a moral burden on President Buhari to ensure that Leah Sharibu is delivered from her abductors alive and well.”

  • Christian elders: sustain calls for restructuring

    The National Christian Elders Forum (NCEF) has added its voice to the agitations for restructuring of the nation.

    The body, in a statement by its chairman, Solomon Asemota, said only the practice of true federalism will address the many agitations in the nation.

    It said: “The ongoing debate on restructuring is healthy and NCEF hopes that it would quickly resolve the choice between regions or states as federating units.

    “NCEF calls on all Nigerians, as equal stakeholders, not to relent in the demand for true fiscal federalism and ensure that the issue is resolved as quickly as possible.”

    The body added: “The Christian Elders are saddened that once again, the nation is being driven to a needless and mindless conflict that, if not well managed, could conflagrate into war, destruction, and threaten the cohesiveness of the Nigerian state.

    “Presently, a lot of provocative statements, actions and inactions are taking place in the country.

    “The NCEF noted with concern the budding constitutional crisis in the country, the threat of another major ethnic conflict occasioned by the Independent People of Biafra’s (IPOB) call for secession and the response of Arewa Northern Youths for the eviction of the Ibos from the north, the agitations for fiscal federalism and resource control, amongst many other regional agitations.”

    Declaring that the nation is more ill than President Muhammadu Buhari, the Christian elders pointed out the ongoing war between the Presidency and National Assembly was costing the nation too much.

    They also demanded reversion of Christian Religion Knowledge (CRK) and Islamic Religion Knowledge (IRK) as standalone subjects.