Nigeria: Christians back emergency rule

Originally published in allAfrica.com

Last week’s declaration of a state of emergency in three states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe has received the official endorsement of the umbrella body of Christians across the country, especially from among the most affected faithful in the troubled region, reports Sam Eyoboka .

In separate interviews, the National Secretary of CAN, Rev. Musa Asake, Secretary of Southern CAN, Dr. Joseph Ajujungwa, CAN chairman in charge of the North East region, Rev. Shuaibu M. Byal and the Borno State PFN chairman, Rev. Haruna Maidoki were unanimous in their support for the president’s action which they argued was in accordance with constitutional provisions.

Reacting to the president’s speech, CAN secretary, Rev. Asake said the 1999 Constitution gives him the right to take any action he deems fit to restore normalcy to any part of the country, noting that he therefore exercised that right by declaring a state of em-ergency in those states.

“Our prayers are with him while we hope that this current measure will adequate address the question of insecurity in that region which has been bedeviled in the last couple of years,” Asake stated, adding that the president action had avidly justified the position of CAN that an amnesty for the Boko Haram members was uncalled for.

“When the CAN president, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor said the amnesty deal would not work some Nigerians took up arm against him, but today they have come to realize that he was right,” he stated, adding that the amnesty committee that was instituted should be scrapped with immediate effect because, he said, it is a waste of tax payers’ money.

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“It beats my imagination that certain persons in the country are opposed to the emergency rule. These are the same persons who have never expressed disgust in the deliberate plot to annihilate Christians and their places of worship,” Asake stated, adding “while fellow Nigerians are being mauled down daily and we cry out they ignore our cries.”

CAN in the 17 Southern States has also thrown its weight behind the emergency rule in the three North Eastern states over the activities of Boko Haram and the destruction of lives and property.

“We cannot continue to watch devils destroy our dear country just like that. Enough of these senseless killings in the North. We’ve seen enough bloodshed and let the sponsors stop and remember that human life is sacred and must be respected,” the scribe of the body, Rev. Joseph Ajujungwa stated.

It also condemned the killing of the Secretary of CAN of Borno State, describing it as “a barbaric act and we call on the Federal Government to do everything to bring the culprits to book.”

Also speaking, Rev. Byal described the emergency rule declared on the three states was a good omen, urging Nigerians to pray that this new approach to tackle the insecurity in the country will solve the problem.

On his part, Rev. Maidoki expressed mixed feelings over the state of emergency, saying that while it is a welcome development, he wondered why the political structures in the affected states were allowed to remain.

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