CAN President blasts US secretary of state

The US secretary of state, John Kerry has come under heavy attack by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), over his recent visit to Nigeria.

Mr John Kerry  was told off by CAN, who say that his recent visit to Nigeria was discriminatory, personal and divisive.

Rev Supo Ayokunle, the President of CAN, alleged that Kerry’s actions during his visit would further the federal government’s plan to continue to persecute the teeming population of Nigerian Christians.

During his visit, John Kerry only visited the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar III, he also met with the 19 northern governors, of whom only three are Christians.

Also at the Presidential Villa, where Kerry was hosted by President Muhammadu Buhari, he met with select northern governors, which also led to criticism as to who selected the governors that were allowed to meet with him.

According to Vanguard, Rev Ayokunle, told journalists in an interview in Abuja that Kerry disrespected the heterogeneous nature of Nigeria, while nakedly showing favour to northern Nigeria and Muslims to the detriment of the Christian community. Ayokunle said that the attitude and disposition of the Secretary of States and the discrimination he adopted during the visit supports accusations that the President Barack Obama’s administration, alongside Kerry and other strategic US politicians in the Obama’s government openly supported the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2015 general elections, which produced the current leadership of the country.

The CAN president also asked John Kerry to “stop interfering in Nigerian affairs”, explaining that as far as he was concerned the visit was a complete flop and exposed Kerry’s negligence of Nigeria’s unity in diversity ideology that has remained the bedrock of the country.

He said: “Why did he meet with 19 states governors, without southern governors, is Nigeria the north alone, why did you go to the north alone?”

There’s a siege on Christians. Kerry, his actions speak volume, his actions, body language were very divisive.

“If US Secretary of States is coming for official visit, it’s understandable, but we demand explanation why he was selective. Has the Sultan Palace become another State House?

Was Kerry invited by the Sultan?

We have 36 States in Nigeria; he only selected northern governors to meet with them. It was a visit to the north, not to Nigeria. It was surely a very divisive visit. With the visit to the north, Kerry’s visit has heightened fear and tension among Christians in Nigeria, if they cannot bring us together, they should not interfere in our affairs.”

Ayokunle while speaking on the killing of Christians in northern Nigeria, said that based on government the selective persecution of Christians mostly by the Department of State Service (DSS) and the Nigerian Police, it was obvious the administration was anti-Christians.

He said: “Have the DSS arrested the Muslim youths who burnt down a Catholic Church in Niger State because they were worshiping on Friday?

What happened to the ECWA Pastor who was killed in his farm in Obi Local Government Area of Nasarawa State? What has happened with Redeemed Preacher who was murdered in Kubwa, Abuja?

Look at the recent case in Zamfara State, Christians where burnt alive. What has happened? They will tell you, they are still investigating. Have they been arrested and charged them to court? If the government cannot sit up and protect Christians, tolerance is going to break down, they should do the right thing, they should not provoke Christians.

Have we ever seen this government bring anybody to book?”

He tasked President Buhari “to come out clean”, adding that “a government that doesn’t listen is not for the people.”

He said that the police were slow in persecuting Muslims, but fast in persecuting Christians.

The CAN leader called on the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to intervene urgently in the case of Mr Joe Chinakwe who was arrested for naming his dog ‘Buhari’.

He said: “The NBA should take up that case and ascertain whether the man has the right to give any name to a dog. They should come and protect the man’s human rights and set the record why the case is not a criminal offence.”