Kerry’s meeting with Sultan, Northern Governors ridicules Christians, Southern Governors – CAN

Forum 8 years ago

Kerry’s meeting with Sultan, Northern Governors ridicules Christians, Southern Governors – CAN

The Christian Association of Nigerian (CAN), Thursday, described the visit of the United States (US) Secretary of States, Mr John Kerry to Nigeria as discriminatory, personal and divisive and that it was aimed at encouraging the ongoing persecuting of Christians in the country.
While in the country, Kerry had visited only the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar III, and 19 northern governors that had three Christians as members.

Kerry at the Presidential Villa was hosted by President Muhammadu Buhari. He also met with select northern governors, a development that attracted criticism from a section of the public.

In his reaction, 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.

In statement sent to DAILY POST by media aide to the CAN President, Pastor Adebayo Oladeji, Ayokunle noted that the attitude and disposition of Kerry and the discrimination he adopted 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 had 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.

His words: “Have the DSS arrested the Muslim youths who burnt down a Catholic Church in Niger State because they were worshiping on Friday? What happened to the ECWA Pastor who was killed in his farm in Obi Local Government Area of Nasarawa State? What have happened with Redeemed preacher who was murdered in Kubwa, Abuja?

“Look at the recent case in Zamfara State, Christians where burnt alive. What has happened? They will tell you, they are still investigating. Have they been arrested and charged them to court?

“If the government cannot sit up and protect Christians, tolerance is going to break down, they should do the right thing, they should not provoke Christians. Have we ever seen this government bring anybody to book?”

The CAN president tasked President Buhari “to come out clean”, adding that, “a government that doesn’t listen is not for the people.”

Ayokunle maintained that while the DSS and the Police have been slow in arresting extremists killing Christians in the country, they have been fast persecuting Christians.

He then called on the leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to as a matter of urgency intervene in the case of Mr Joe Chinakwe who was arrested for naming hi