…Decries siege on Christians in Nigeria
The Christian Association of Nigerian (CAN) yesterday, described the visit of the United States (US) Secretary of States, John Kerry
to Nigeria as discriminatory, ungodly and divisive, aimed at encouraging the ongoing persecution of Christians in the country.
In a statement through Pastor Adebayo Oladeji, Special Assistant on Media to the he CAN President, the christian umbrella body also decried the spate of siege on Christians in the country, asking the security agencies to wake up to their responsibbilities.
He recalled that while in the country, Kerry had visited only the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar III, met with the 19 northern governors that has three Christians as members.
Kerry at the Presidential Villa was hosted by President Muhammadu Buhari and met with select northern governors, which also attracts criticism from a large section of the public for being discriminatory.
In a swift reaction to the historical event, the CAN President, Rev. Dr, Olasupo Ayokunle condemned Kerry’s action in strong terms for “lack of respect to the heterogeneous nature of Nigeria, while openly favouring northern Nigeria and Muslims to the detriment of the Christians and the Southern part of the country.”
Ayokunle noted that the attitude and disposition of Kerry and the discrimination he displayed during the visit supports accusations that the President Barack Obama’s administration, Kerry and other strategic US politicians in the Obama’s government openly supported the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2015 general elections, which produced the current leadership of the country.
He told Kerry to “stop interfering in Nigerian affairs” even as he went further to argue that the visit was a complete flop because it showed “Kerry’s shallow knowledge of Nigeria’s unity in diversity ideology”, which has been sustaining her against all the odds that could have remove it from existence.
“Why did he meet with 19 states governors, without southern governors, is Nigeria the north alone, why did you go to the north alone?”, the CAN President queried.
According to the Baptist cleric, “There’s a siege on Christians. Kerry, his actions speak volume, his actions, body language were very divisive.
“If US Secretary of States was coming for a private visit, it’s understandable, but we demand explanation why he was selective. Has the Sultan Palace become another State House? Was Kerry invited by the Sultan?
“We have 36 States in Nigeria; he only selected northern governors to meet with them.
“It was a visit to the north, not to Nigeria. It was surely a very divisive visit. With the visit to the north, Kerry’s visit has heightened fear and tension among Christians in Nigeria, if they cannot bring us together, they should not interfere in our affairs.”
Speaking further, the CAN president condemned the selective persecution of Christians mostly by the Department of State Service (DSS) and the Nigerian Police and said the action shows that the administration was anti-Christians.