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President Buhari to CAN: I will treat all Nigerians equitably
President Muhammadu Buhari says he will keep faith with the oath of office he swore, and treat all Nigerians equitably. Receiving the Executive Committee Members of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) from 19 Northern States and Abuja, at State House, Thursday, the President equally pledged to restore peace to all parts of the country, noting: “Restoring peace is a top priority.
We will enable the law enforcement agencies to combat all forms of violent crimes, and ensure that our people live in peace.”
President Buhari urged the clerics to promote religious harmony, by “enhancing understanding among different faiths.”
He also disclosed that the government would maintain the priority it has placed on agriculture and mines and steel development, “to kick-start the economy.”
The Chairman of CAN in the 19 Northern States and Abuja, Rev. Yakubu Pam, said it was not a mistake that God chose President Buhari to lead the country at these challenging times.
“We are ready to support your administration to deliver good governance. You have good intentions for Nigeria, judging from the programs that have been outlined,” Rev. Pam said.
He also highlighted ethnoreligious challenges in the country, freedom of worship, and herdsmen/farmers’ clashes in their discussion with the President.
The CAN leader commended the Buhari administration for the blow dealt Boko Haram insurgents, “leading to comparative peace in the North-east,” the return of 21 abducted schoolgirls from Chibok, and the anti-corruption war, which he urged “should be fought to the logical conclusion.”
Femi Adesina
It’s very disappointing that Rev. Y. Pam, Chairman Northern CAN, did not even mention the most nauseating contemporary issue affecting Christians in the 19 northern States, that is, the illegal abduction, false conversion and forceful marriage of under-18 Christian girls to Muslim men. Instead, he was bold enough to say that God “chose” GMB to be President. Nigerians asked for “King Saul” and God granted their request. They will have to live with the consequences of their choice, not God’s. CAN, the political arm of the organised church, has not lived up to its billing in Nigeria, unfortunately.