Secretary
Kerry with the Sultana of Sokoto Sa'ad Abubakar
Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, an umbrella of all Christian denominations are right now very
furious, and their anger as expressed by CAN
President Reverend Supo Ayokunle is over
perceived snub of Christian
representatives in John Kerry’s visit to Nigeria this week.
The president of CAN,
Reverend Supo Ayokunle, told reporters on Thursday that Kerry’s visit showed a “lack of respect
for the heterogeneous nature of Nigeria” and favored the country’s Muslim
population “to the detriment of the Christian community.
For the CAN
president, Christian faithful’s and southerners, all this added together is a
clear sign of perceived widespread marginalization and attempt to sideline
Christians and southerners by their Northern Muslim neighbors and now helped by
the APC supported Obama Administration.
To an outsider, this argument does not make sense, like it’s
evident in the way some western media referred to CAN as a Christian group, obviously betraying their ignorant of the
Nigerian socio political dynamics. How else do one explain to the western media
that CAN, Christian Association of
Nigeria is not just a Christian group
but in fact the only recognized national umbrella of the entire Nigerian
Christian faithful’s, and the President of CAN
represents to Christians what the Sultana of Sokoto represent to Muslims, hence
when an American secretary of state came calling to Nigeria and decided to
visit a man who represents a particular religion and failed to visit or invite
the other or governors that represents his interest, something definitely is
wrong, whether the west , especially America understand this or not.
Put this alongside the identity and attitude of the man
whose style of leadership is nothing but impartial, beginning with his style of
appointments which has seen him appoints
more of his kinsmen and religious interest above others , his disregard for
response to public outcry of his actions or policies despite having about four
media and press aides, his reluctance to tackle the Northern herdsman killing of
innocent Nigerians from the South, and you will understand why the outcry by
the head of the Church in Nigeria.
The US desire to ride Nigeria of the Islamic terrorist group
Boko Haram should not blind their eyes to the real danger that is capable of
breaking this country and that is the issue of marginalization and favoritism
that has given rise to the activities of restless Niger-Delta militants of
south south and groups seeking to secede from south east.
So much has happened within the short time the president
Muhamadu Buhari’s led APC government took over power from PDP that is capable
of unsettling any hope of rebuilding this nation, and any action that can be
perceived as fueling a perceived injustices of any group by any internal or
external influence will do more to escalate the already frayed nerves,
something I don’t think the US and the west wants to see happen.
So Mr. Secretary, an apology from your humble self to the
head of the Nigerian church will go a long way to achieve your mission of a
stable Nigeria than just going to fraternize with the head of the Muslim who
many feels hasn't done much to help fight the Boko Haram insurgence, and when
next you or any of your kind come calling again, please do well to remember the
heterogeneous nature of the Nigerian society as remarked by CAN president.
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