The
leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has accused President
Muhammadu Buhari of projecting an Islamic agenda.
The body
said the President has made three key appointments in the last few days, but
that none is from the South or a Christian.
Buhari
recently appointed Yusuf Magaji Bichi, a Muslim, from Kano State to replace
Matthew Seiyefa, a Christian from Bayelsa who had been operating in an acting
capacity since Lawal Daura was sacked.
Mr Abbas
Umar Masanawa was also named the Managing Director of the Nigerian Security
Printing and Minting Company, just as Hajiya Zainab Ahmed was appointed the
acting Finance Minister to replace Mrs Kemi Adeosun who resigned.
CAN
spokesman, Bayo Oladeji, in a statement on Monday alleged that the
marginalisation of the Christians is deliberate to heighten the tension in the
land for whatever reasons.
He said:
“CAN notes with disappointments, shocks and surprises that despite our appeal
to President Buhari to break the domination of the country’ security council by
people of the same religion and language in a multi-religious and multi-ethnic
groups that make up Nigeria, he still derives pleasure in turning a deaf ear to
the Voice of Wisdom and Reason as manifested in the three appointments.
“The
President, who at his inauguration three years ago promised to be fair to all,
has been consistently and persistently discriminating against Christians and
Southerners in all his appointments and policies.
“CAN is also
disappointed with the justification of the illegalities being perpetrated by
Buhari in the lopsided appointments by the Presidency including a handful
Christians in his government who are doing so primarily to keep their jobs, at
the expense of the majority.
“For anyone
to be asking all well-meaning Nigerians, including some media houses, to stop
complaining of the lopsided appointments in the security apparatus of the
country is reprehensible, insensitive, and wicked.
“Perhaps, if
there was no undeclared systematic ethnic cleansing and genocide in the
predominantly Christian communities in the country, as rightly observed by the
likes of Prof Wole Soyinka and General T. Y. Danjuma of recent, we would have
turned a blind eye to the unlawful action of the President.
“The
notorious Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) has
been threatening those who condemn their nefarious activities in the Middle
belt where thousands of our members are being killed with impunity, yet the
association that has a lot of things in common with terrorist organisations are
not only being treated with kid gloves by the security agencies, but their aggressive
attacks on the innocent people are being justified by the President, the
Defence Minister, the Minister of Interior, the Minister of Information and the
Inspector General of Police.
“The Boko
Haram Islamic terrorist organisation has not ceased attacking and killing our
people, they are abducting our members on a daily basis and despite all our
hues and cries, the Federal Government and the security agencies have refused
to liberate Leah Sharibu and others in the enclave of this blood-sucking terrorist
group because of their faith.
“CAN is
fully persuaded beyond any reasonable doubt that it is the lopsided
appointments in the security agencies that is largely responsible why
Christians have become endangered species in their Fatherland under the leadership
of Buhari.
CAN also
wishes to observe that the lopsided appointments is a hallmark of the Federal
Government in other key ministries like Interior, Defence, Education and
Information.
“We
challenge the Federal Ministry of Information and the Presidency to contradict
this fact with evidences by publishing names of all heads of the parastatals
and agencies including their states of origins and religions.
“These are
all parts of the gradual and subtle islamisation agenda, but we are sad that
those who are benefitting from the existing order, Christians inclusive, have
been dismissing this alert with a wave of hands.”
Comments