The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has described those castigating the Christmas message of Bishop of Sokoto Catholic Diocese, Most Reverend Father Mathew Hassan Kukah, as sectional zealots who see the trouble in Nigeria from their primordial views.
In a statement on Monday, the Vice-Chairman of CAN, Rev John Joseph Hayab, accused the Presidency and the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) of twisting the Christmas message delivered by Bishop Hassan Kukah.
The Christian umbrella body in the statement said that it read with great shock attempts to further divide the nation by the Presidency, and the leadership of MURIC and other individuals and groups aimed at twisting the crux of the homily Bishop Kukah gave at Christmas.
It therefore condemned in its entirety the misleading and inciting statements of MURIC and its likes calling on the international community, as well as the local community to particularly counsel Prof Akintola of MURIC to learn to walk the path of honour and not be a merchant of crisis.
“CAN 19 in Northern states and Abuja has read with great shock attempts to further divide the nation by the Presidency, the leadership of MURIC and other individuals and groups aimed at twisting the crux of the homily Bishop Kukah gave at Christmas.
“Of grave misgiving is the baseless claim in a statement signed by the President of MURIC, Prof Ishaq Akintola that Bishop Kukah had referred to Islam as a violent religion and calls for a coup.
“CAN, therefore, condemns in its entirety the misleading and inciting statements of MURIC and its likes calling on the international, as well as the local community to particularly counsel Prof Akintola of MURIC to learn to walk the path of honour and not be a merchant of crisis.”
It also emphasized in the statement that reading through Bishop Kukah’s “A Nation In Search of Vindication”, “it is unable to find any expression suggesting an affront to Islam or a call for a coup,” adding that sadly, “MURIC aims to incite citizens against one another along the lines of faith instead of denouncing the insecurity witnessed across the country which is the point Bishop Kukah’s message.
“From the east to the south, west and all over the north, travelling has become a nightmare while hapless people are dragged from their homes for ransom,” the statement explained.
It noted that their memory “is fresh with the gruesome killings of 76 farmers in Borno State in early December 2020 whose crime was simply being farmers irking for a source of livelihoods for their families.