The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, NSCIA, has slammed the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN describing it as a political party in a religious garb.
The apex Islamic body also urged CAN to apply to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC to be registered as a full-fledged political party, rather than front for politicians who nurse the ambitions of holding political offices.
This followed CAN’s position requesting the National Assembly to balance the appointments of their principal officers across religious divides to avoid domination and marginalisation of any kind.
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Reacting to CAN’s request to the lawmakers, NSCIA in a statement signed by its Deputy Secretary-General, Prof. Salisu Shehu, said just as there are Christian Political parties in other climes such as Australia, Germany and New Zealand, the body should rather apply to be registered as a political party.
Meanwhile, further to CAN’s repeated cry of marginalisation of its members in government parastatals, NSCIA called on the Federal Government to conduct a holistic census of all Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies including higher institutions of learning to determine whether there is anywhere Muslims constitute up to 30 per cent of the staff strength and thereafter ensure compliance with the sections of the Constitution cited by CAN.
The group added that the chronic intolerance and political partisanship of CAN and its alter egos are becoming alarming, adding that “they are ardent at purveying blatant falsehood and fake news.
“Given the trajectory of the recent activities of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, NSCIA, like other informed groups and people in Nigeria, cannot but wonder whether CAN still remains a religious body or a political party in a religious garb.
“The Council is persuaded to believe the latter because of the Association’s posture as the counterfoil for and opposition to everything Islam and Muslims in this country.
“We cannot also but wonder whether Islamophobia has indeed not replaced the more important responsibility of giving direction to millions of our compatriots who are law-abiding citizens of the Christian faith. It is really benumbing that CAN appears to be giving credence and relevance to the rhetorical question asked centuries ago: “if gold rust, what should iron do?
“Specifically, the statement issued by Pastor Adebayo Oladeji (Special Assistant Media and Communication to CAN President) on behalf of CAN is the last straw to break the camel’s back in the Association’s ill-advised and ill-motivated interventions in the polity. The statement of CAN, addressed to the leadership of the National Assembly, partly reads:
As you prepare for your inauguration, CAN urges you to balance the appointments of your principal officers across religious divides to avoid domination and marginalisation of any kind in the interest of equity, justice, and fair play as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
Although both the Senate and the House of Representatives have several principal officers, our focus here are the Senate President, the Deputy Senate President, the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker. As it has been the practice since 1999, whenever the Senate President is a Christian, the Speaker of the House has always been a Muslim and vice-versa. And the same thing happens to their deputies.
Our quest becomes imperative due to the existing order in the two other arms of the government. Today, both the President and the acting Chief Justice of Nigeria are Muslims and our appeal is to let either the Senate President or the Speaker be a Christian to address the religious dichotomy. This will give all Nigerians a sense of belonging irrespective of their religious affiliations.
“Is CAN suffering from selective amnesia or is it just obsessed with chronic mendacity? Was there no CAN between 2009 and 2011 when Dr. Goodluck Jonathan was the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Justice Aloyious Katsina-Alu was the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Senator David A. B. Mark was President of the Senate and Senator Ike Ekweremadu was Deputy Senate President?
Was there religious balance in 2007 when David Mark was elected Senate President and Patricia Etteh was elected Speaker? Was there no 1999 Constitution at that time?
“Even prior to 1999, the two arms of the National Assembly were headed by Christians. For instance, while between 1979 and 1983, the Senate was headed by Joseph Wayas and the House of Representatives by Ume-Ezeoke, from October to December, 1983, Joseph Wayas and Benjamin Chaha were leading the respective chambers. Furthermore, in the aborted Third Republic, the Senate Presidents were Iyocha Ayu and Ameh Ebute while the Speaker was Hon. Anakwo.
“CAN also condemned Mallam Nasir El-Rufai for choosing a Muslim as his running mate and claimed that he had committed a political hara-kiri. The same CAN chose to turn a blind eye to Ekiti, Benue, Edo, Ondo and Plateau states where Muslims have a substantial number of indigenes and yet are denied the deputy governorship slots.
Civilian governors of Plateau State, for instance, prior to 1999, had Muslims as their deputies but since the advent of the Fourth Republic, Muslims have not been considered for the position of deputy governor. Yet, the NSCIA has chosen not to dabble into such political issues but our silence is now being taken as stupidity by CAN.
“The sheer impudence of CAN leaders and their chronic insincerity led them to release a statement that the leadership of parastatals under the Ministry of Education was dominated by Muslims but were embarrassed when the statistics of the last 10 years was presented to them by NSCIA.
“Let CAN apply to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC to be registered as a full-fledged political party as “politicians in cassock,” to quote the CAN President himself, rather than front for politicians who nurse the ambitions of holding political offices.
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In other climes such as Australia, Germany, New Zealand, etc., there are Christian political parties and CAN should rather be straightforward and apply to be registered as a political party, if the Nigerian Constitution allows that tomfoolery.
“The NSCIA is also well informed of the surreptitious pressure CAN is mounting on Christian judges serving in the various election petition tribunals across the country, under a pseudo-Christian organisation, to ensure the victory of Christians and/or their sympathizers. Even the recent release of the so-called National Christian Elders Forum, NCEF lends credence to this point.
“The indecorous and outright partisan statement by CAN which is meant to polarize the country has created doubt in NSCIA and any right-thinking person about the genuineness of the partnership of CAN with NSCIA.
What is the essence of conferring with hate-filled religious leaders whose wish is for Muslims to be exterminated from the polity and Nigerian society?
All these must stop! CAN should save itself from creating hatred in the minds of well-meaning Nigerians through its divisive and evil-impelled interventions.”
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