ABUJA (Sundiata Post) – Members of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) from the northern states of the country have shelved earlier plans to break out of the CAN National body.
The members, at a maiden meeting of Northern CAN in which delegates from all the Northern States and Federal Capital Territory were present, agreed not pull out of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) to form a different body.
In a Communiqué signed by Rev. Yakubu Pam, Northern CAN Chairman and Rev. John Joseph Hayab, PRO, the delegates condemned in its totality the recent killings and religious radicalism that was displayed at Zamfara College of Education by some students of Islamic faith, and called on government to ensure that Christian students at secondary and higher institutions in the North are given full protection from any form of molestation.
The Northern CAN, which resolved that nobody or group outside the Northern CAN Chairman or the Public Relations Officer of CAN should speak or issue a statement on their behalf from henceforth, urged Northern governors as Chief Security Officers of their respective states to ensure Christians in their states are not intimidated, molested or killed by religious fanatics under any guise.
They also expressed strong reservation over the recent visit of the United States Secretary of State to Nigeria John Kerry that excluded Christian leaders from meeting him, rather choosing to make his first point-of-call Sokoto to meet the Sultan and select Northern Governors.
The Christian Leaders in the north also called on the unemployed youths in the north to go into farming rather than, be waiting endlessly for white collar jobs that are unavailable and called on the Federal Government to do all it can to bring lasting peace to north-east region to enable IDPs return to their homes.
They also condemn in strong terms under-age marriages, abductions in some parts of the Northern States.