CAN asks Buhari to caution presidential spokespersons

THE Northern chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has asked President Muhammad Buhari to caution his spokesmen on the way they deal with issues affecting Christians.

This is even as the association called on the president to wake up and protect Christians from insurgents in the North-East and bandits in the North-West.

The vice chairman of the Northern CAN, Reverend Joseph Hayab, said in a statement in Kaduna on Friday that since the government knew the intention of the insurgents, it should protect Christians and their worship places.

According to him, the association will not shy away from telling the powers that be the truth until “we see the country of our dreams.”

Hayab said: “Since the truth can only be delayed but not denied, the Federal Government of Nigeria should use the public admission by its Minister of Information that Boko Haram and other killer groups in Nigeria truly are targeting Christians to stir a religious war and fashion ways that Christians, their leaders and places of worship will be protected.

“The government, at this point, should also seek to engage critical stakeholders to discuss possible ways of uniting the country to defeat the common enemy, in this case, Boko Haram and the kidnappers that have made our roads and homes unsafe.

“Accordingly, the government should direct its carefree spokespersons, both at federal and state levels, to mind how they respond to people or groups that have legitimate complaints about the safety of their members.

“When persons who are bereaved of a wife, a father, a child or loved ones are insulted at the time they should be consoled, the government simply becomes inhuman and abuses the privilege of office.

“CAN and its entire membership love this country because we have no other country to call ours and want the best for Nigeria, but we cannot get the best for Nigeria through denial or claiming ignorance of the pains citizens are going through.

“CAN, therefore, calls for an honest commitment to govern this nation with truth and love from leaders. We will never stop praying for and speaking truth to power until we see the Nigeria of our dream come to reality.

“CAN and its entire membership love this country because we have no other country to call ours and want the best for Nigeria, but we cannot get the best for Nigeria through denial or claiming ignorance of the pains citizens are going through.”