JOS (Sundiata Post) – Christians in Nigeria under the auspices of Christian Association of Nigeria, (CAN) and Arewa Christian Youths, (ACY), have described the Muhammadu Buhari administration as the worst that has happened to Christians in recent times.
The two bodies said that the skewed and lopsided appointments so far made by the present administration showed that it was at war with Christians to exclude them from governance in the country.
In a statement jointly signed by the President CAN Youth Wing, Mr. Daniel David Kadzai and President, Arewa Christians Association, Rev. Luka Shehu, the associations, lamented that in addition to denying appointments to Christians, the administration had ensured that Christian religious studies was not taught in all the schools in the North in fragrant disregard to the constitution of the country.
The statement said, “While reminiscing on our journey into democracy since independence and marking another democracy day, we call on all Nigerians to demand for the best democracy can offer; where social justice, the rule of law and life and property will be secured.
“As much as we would have loved to statistically join issues with MURIC, the lopsided appointment made by the Buhari administration skewed in favour of Muslims, (the first of its kind in this nation) its only unnoticed to a visitor in this country.
“Similarly, the complete exclusion of Christian religious studies in most public schools in the far North in flagrant disregard to our Constitutional provision is a known fact by anybody conversant with the dynamics of our educational system in the North. Maybe a tour by our learned Prof. Ishaq Akintola and his likes from the South to our educational institutions and Christian communities in the North will acquaint them with the facts and realities in the ground contrary to his or their assertion.
“However, we are aware that this reckless exclusion of the Christian community in our educational curriculum in the North has a pre-determined agenda which we are very much aware to be against the United NationsvCharter on Minority Rights in the North, knowing that these are predominantly Christians.”
Youth CAN and ACY said that there had also been attempts to work against the acting President Yemi Osinbajo, and present him as incompetent and incapable of holding forth for the ailing president.
The statement added, “Suffice to say the truth, while majority of Nigerians appreciated Vice President, Osibanjo’s speed and progressive work while holding brief for Mr. President on medical leave, some Muslims out of envy and religious sentiments choose to denigrate and conspire against the Vice-President. This further confirms the age-long motives for deliberate and calculated slandering and pulling down prematurely of all prospective good Christian leaders especially from the North. This we can no longer tolerate.
While expressing their hope that the Christian community, particularly leaders now and the future would lot from the present administration on lopsided promotion in favor of their faith, the organisations said if they had done so Christianity and Nigerians wouldn’t have suffered the set back experienced today.
They berated the Buhari administration for failing in providing security to Nigerians, recalling with pains this government rode on the back of celebrated insecurity under President Goodluck Jonathan to come to power.