HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO A FEARLESS VOICE FOR CHRISTIANS AND POSTERITY

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO A FEARLESS VOICE FOR CHRISTIANS AND POSTERITY

The Associations, Churches, Pastors, Deacons, MMU, WMU, Youths and entire membership of Lagos Central Baptist Conference rejoice with our denominational, ecclesiastical and ecumenical leader, His Eminence, Rev. Dr. Supo AYOKUNLE (CAN & NBC PRESIDENT) on this occasion of another birth anniversary. God will give you double grace for divine accomplishment and God himself will renew your strength and preserve you in all ways. Happy Birthday Sir!

PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS IN NIGERIA

PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS IN NIGERIA

 

Adesina, Christian Persecutions Are Real in Nigeria  - Coalition of Christian NGOs

A Coalition of 25 Christian Non-Governmental Organisations have asked the Special Adviser on Media to President Muhammadu Buhari, Femi Adesina to stop using his office to attack the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) if he cannot join them in condemning the ongoing Christian persecutions in the country. 

Our attention has been drawn to an opinion written by Adesina, titled, "BEHEADED ADAMAWA PASTOR: CAN GOT IT MIXED UP" where Adesina thoughtlessly and gleefully spared no words in lashing out at the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) which, technically speaking, he is a member as an elder in the Four Square Church. 

While we will not speak for CAN, we as concerned citizens in the Body of Christ in Nigeria view his uncouth and untamed attacks as reminiscent of the counsel of the wisest man of all centuries, King Solomon, who says "Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him. Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit" (Proverbs 26:4-5). The latter wisdom is applicable here.

We note with great sadness that Femi Adesina, a Christian elder in the Body of Christ, and a presidential aide, a journalist of no mean reputation is now wearing the infamous crown as one of the staunchest defenders of the atrocious killings and maiming of Nigerians, especially Christians under the present administration. 

Ordinarily, Adesina should not deserve a rejoinder because he has chosen lucre over sincere burden of agony of antagonized and killed Christians which CAN bears in defending and justifying the daily slaughtering and dehumanisation of Christians in Nigeria, especially in the Northern part of the country. But he should be rebuked for his pretension and mediocrity which betray genuine Christ-like character. 

It is unfortunate for the presidential spokesperson to make himself the stumbling stone   each time CAN raises and re-echoes godly concerns of Nigerian Christians over the obvious strategic state policy of persecution. Why? Adesina is not a lone ranger among the handful Christians who are appointed by the President. We are not unaware of the spoilers  and betrayal roles some of them are playing in the corridors of power. 

It is an open knowledge that terrorists and their kinsmen, Fulani herdsmen have turned many predominantly Christian communities into killing fields. This is too obvious to be disputed except to the insincere and mischievous minds like Adesina. While the genocide in Southern Kaduna, Benue, Plateau and Taraba States was at the peak,  which had led to mass burials of the victims, Adesina was too busy travelling from Europe to America to say a word in defence of the victims and to sympathise with the bereaved. Instead, he was mandated to change the narrative from the Fulani herdsmen killings to Farmers-Herders clashes as if those people who were being killed were as armed as their attackers. 

As an elder of his church, do we need to remind him and his co- travellers that when Mordecai foresaw the genocidal plan of Hamaan against the people of God, he did not turn a blind eye to it or pretend as if all his well but instead alerted his niece, the Queen, Esther, who today would have been called the First Lady. The duo not only rose up against the plot but ensured the ungodly verdict was reversed but the mastermind was made to face the consequences. But Adesina does not have time to study the book of Esther otherwise we would have advised him to learn from Mordecai.

So to Femi Adesina, the Christian persecutions in the country are figments imagination of the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria? And for CAN to cry out is akin to acting the opposition script? 

Femi Adesina is a big disgrace to Christianity and especially his Denomination Four Square Church. It's high time his GO and church leadership call him to order

If CAN has become an opposition to the government that turns a deaf ear to their SOS because "The insecurity in the country is not about any religion. It is pure evil, from the pit of hell", are the EU Parliament and the US Government playing the opposition also?

Those who  have been killed by the terrorists were killed because they were Christians and they refused to be converted. So, it is not true that Andini's death should be seen like any other human being.  Yes, it is true that Andini is a human being and no human being should be so treated. Yet, Andini's murder was because of his faith. CAN was correct in making that allegation. According to the information available to us, the killer of Rev Andimi had begged him (Rev Andini) in vain to be converted to Islam before slaughtering him. These murderers always recite some portions of the Quran before killing their victims. Whether they are misrepresenting Islam or not, is another thing but claiming that the menace of terrorism has nothing to do with religion is the only narrative acceptable to the Nigerian government. 

CAN's demand for the overhauling of the security agencies with a view to balancing the religious factor of their heads, is a noble course and it is justifiable. Those who are slaughtering our members and those who are managing our security apparatus share same faith. We are aware that General Abayomi Olonisakin, the Chief of Defence Staff and the Chief of Naval Staff, Ibok Ekwe-Ibas are good Christians but they are minority at the Security Council of the country. 

So, it is true that we have two Christians among the service chiefs but the Chief of Defence Staff has no troop while the Chief of Naval Staff does not command the soldiers fighting the terrorists. All the security agencies like the Nigerian  Army,  the Nigerian Police, the Nigerian Air  Force, the State Security Services, the National Intelligence Agency, the Defence Intelligence Agency who are  deeply involved in the war against the Islamic  extremists are all headed by Muslims. Is Adesina ignorant of this truth or playing ostrich? 

What CAN is asking the  President to do is not new at all. We remember President Issoufou Mahamadou of Niger Republic, who sacked his security chiefs after 89 soldiers were killed by terrorists in January, 2020 but to the likes of Adesina, it is not a big deal. The fact that CAN is even calling for a total overhauling of the security architecture despite the fact that two Christians are among should not attract condemnation of a sane mind but applause. 

Once again,  we dare the Federal Government to publish names of all the security agencies including their religions. This will expose who is not sincere between the Federal Government and the leadership of CAN. Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah has said it all about the common denominator between the government and the Boko Haram terrorists. Let those who have ears hear. The reasons why the likes of Adesina will continue to attack the highest Christian body is because they are government appointees and also because none of their relations have a victim of terror attacks. 

But for Brother Femi Adesina, power is transient; so is life here on earth. He should beware of his words and actions because every careless words we speak in this life shall be accountable one day. If he is shy, afraid or too ignorant to defend or sympathies with Christian brethren whose blood flows in the North-east, Middle Belt and Southern Kaduna, he should keep quiet. He should not allow the lucre of office to becloud his sense of godly judgement. 

The gate of hell shall not prevail against the Church of God in Jesus Name. 

Signed

25 January, 2020

Bro Isaac Okonkwo 

National Coordinator 

Bro Garba Yohanna

National Secretary 

TEXT OF A SPEECH OF THE PRESIDENT, CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (CAN), HIS EMINENCE, DR SAMSON AYOKUNLE AT THE WORLD PRESS CONFERENCE

TEXT OF A SPEECH OF THE PRESIDENT, CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (CAN), HIS EMINENCE, DR SAMSON AYOKUNLE AT THE WORLD PRESS CONFERENCE ON 23 JANUARY, 2020 AT THE NATIONAL CHRISTIAN CENTRE, ABUJA. 

Gentlemen of the Press. 

Let me call for a minute silence in honour of all those killed by the Boko Haram terrorists, Fulani herdsmen, bandits and kidnappers in the country. 

"If you have ever lost a loved one, then you know exactly how it feels but if you have not, then you cannot possibly imagine it." 

― Lemony Snicket

You are all aware of the gruesome murder of the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Michika Local Government Area of Adamawa State, Rev. Lawan Andimi, by the terrorist group, Boko Haram, because he refused to be converted to Islam. Although, the group initially demanded for the sum of N50m and, when against all odds, the ransom was ready, they asked for €2m. It was in the process that they reached out to our people in Adamawa State to notify them that since the gentleman had refused to be converted to Islam, they had decided to behead him. And that was what they did. In the same state, just last Sunday, a clergyman, Rev Denis Bagauri was murdered by unknown gunmen in his residence at Mayo Belwa of Adamawa State, all because he was a Christian. You are also aware of the beheading of 11 Christians by Islamic State in West Africa on Christmas Day of 2019 in Maiduguri including a bride to be. 

Few days ago, four seminarians of the Good Shepherd Catholic Seminary in Kakau, were kidnapped along Kaduna-Abuja Road and we have not heard anything about them. In Kaduna State, the most recent happenings were those of 35 people killed and abduction of 58 persons when bandits raided 10 communities in the Chikun and Birnin Gwari Local Government areas on January 13, 2020. These criminals are everywhere operating with impunity and they have been stopping commercial and private vehicles asking them to come down and telling them to say what their religion is. 

Whoever claims to be a Christian is either killed on the spot or abducted and a demand for a ransom issued. Police, Army officers and even judges are not exempted. This is reprehensible, unacceptable and unprecedented since Nigeria came into being. Christians have become endangered species in their own country! 

Nigeria is under a siege orchestrated by the murderous blood-thirsty and criminally- minded Boko Haram terrorists, Fulani terrorist herdsmen, bandits and kidnappers who are all armed to the teeth, dressed in army uniforms, and gradually overwhelming our security agencies. They have been going around invading predominantly Christian villages and towns, killing and maiming our youths and elders, men and women; raping our women and daughters, decapitating children and disembowelling pregnant women, and subjecting people to coldblooded murder.  

Although their atrocities did not begin today, it increased  with the advent of  of democracy, which gave birth to the Sharia Law in some Northern states, an outright violation of the 1999 Constitution. However, the attacks being witnessed under the current administration are unprecedented. Today, the killers are unleashing terror on selected Christian communities, while sometimes our security agencies appear to be looking elsewhere. It is usually after the evil has been done that our soldiers and policemen invade the communities and in many instances, the victims are locked up, while the criminals are left untouched.

From 1980-2019, the Stephanos  Foundation' record shows a total of 1,785 attacks in 32 states of the country. This led for the death of not less than 28, 878  innocent people.  In 121 Muslim-riots in 19 states, the death of 9, 451 lives were. Also, Boko Haram militant groups were responsible for 701 attacks that claimed 12,812 lives in 15 states. Again, 963 attacks from Fulani Militant groups in 32 states were responsible for 6,615 deaths.  

 The hoodlums have been in Southern Kaduna for years, where hundreds have been killed including a highly placed traditional ruler. And up till today, no one has been brought to book. Instead, it was those who cried out that were subjected to state harassment. A few suspects arrested were later freed to continue with their atrocities. The Fulani herdsmen were in Aghatu land in Benue State and other predominantly Christian communities; killing and maiming their victims.  Mass burials have become the order of the day and to add salt to the injury, it was the Federal Government that was justifying the killings of the citizens by accusing some governors of making laws against open grazing.  They claimed that the killings were not genocide against Christians but farmers- herders' clash. President Muhammadu Buhari has not ceased telling us that the criminals are coming from Libya, as though Nigeria shares borders with Libya. As if that were not enough, the Miyetti Allah the Fulani herdsmen have claimed responsibility for the killings and justifying their actions. In other instances, they disown the killers, telling us that there are other herdsmen who are not their members but who also register with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).

The Federal Government has never deemed it fit to call them to order, but instead insisted that the herdsmen are stakeholders in the country! This emboldens them and their members who are always attacking predominantly Christian communities in Plateau, Adamawa, Taraba and few states in the South like Enugu.  As usual, none of these attackers has been brought to justice to end their atrocities with impunity.

These terrorists have not hidden their goal to Islamize Nigeria and that is what they have in common with the Fulani herdsmen. They have turned the North-East geo-political zone, especially, Borno, Adamawa and Yobe, into killing fields. One of the cardinal programmes of this government is to put to an end the menace of insecurity and terrorism, but that has not been done. Although the government often claims to have defeated the terrorists, what we are seeing on daily basis contradicts that claim. Hundreds of our members, including Leah Sharibu and over 120 Chibok girls are still in the custody of these terrorists and the government has not succeeded in releasing them. 

 We are not disputing the fact that some Muslims have been killed. However we boldly state here that their primary targets are Christians. The only exceptions are those who are being killed by the bandits in the North-western states like Zamfara and Katsina. In the words of Carrie Jones, "Losing people you love affects you. It is buried inside of you and becomes this big, deep hole of ache. It doesn't magically go away, even when you stop officially mourning." 

 It is reprehensible and saddening that each time the government comes out to claim the defeat of the insurgency, more killings of our people are committed. In the light of the current developments and the circumstantial facts surrounding the prevailing upsurge of attacks against the church, it will be difficult for us to believe that the Federal Government under the present  administration is not colluding with the insurgents to exterminate Christians in Nigeria, bearing in mind the very questionable leadership of the security sector that has been skewed towards a religion and region! Is that lop-sidedness not a cover up for the operation of the insurgency? If not, why couldn't the well-equipped security agents of Nigeria get Rev Andimi out of the captivity of his killers who held him captive for two week.

Please permit me to ask the Federal government the following questions:

• What is the essence of SIM card registration if the authorities cannot use it to track down these killers who rely on phones as a mean of communications to do their criminalities?

• What has become of Intelligence gathering of our security agencies?

• Is this government and the security agencies still claiming that the war against these criminals been won despite all the killings?

• Is the government sincere in fighting these terrorists or merely paying lip service to the war against the insurgency?

• Is there any hope that our security is guaranteed under this government? 

• Can the government tell us what they did since Rev. Andimì cried out to them for help? 

• If the security agencies claim the terrorists are operating outside the country, why is it possible for these hoodlums to invade the country, kill, maim, burn and kidnap without any convincing checks on the part of the security agencies?

• Since the government and its apologists are claiming the killings have no religious undertones, why are the terrorists and herdsmen targeting the predominantly Christian communities and Christian leaders? 

• If the security agencies are not living up to the expectations of the government, why hasn't it overhauled them with a view of injecting new visionaries ones into the security system?

As long as the government continues to live in denial and fail to face the reality, these criminals will not stop their criminalities. We are almost losing hope in government's ability to protect Nigerians especially Christians who have become endangered species under its watch. We once again call on the International community and the developed world like the US, the UK, Germany, Israel and others to please come to our aid of Nigeria, especially, the Nigerian Church so that we might not be eliminated one by one.

OUR DEMANDS: 

• The President  should overhaul the security council with a view of bringing in new heads of all the security agencies and the para-military which no religion or part of the country will dominate. 

• The Federal government should either label the Miyetti Allah Fulani Association a terrorist organisation as being regarded in the terror index.

• The Federal Government should order the arrest of the leadership of the Miyetti Allah Groups in who are sponsoring and perpertuating the crime of Nigeria and prosecute them for all the killings in Southern Kaduna, Benue, Plateau and Taraba states, among others. 

• The Federal Government should publish names of all kingpins of the terrorists who are in detention and those who are being prosecuted.

• The Federal Government should stop releasing the so-called repented terrorists since they are reportedly joining their colleagues in the forest to unleash terror on the land. 

• The Federal Government should reverse the recent controversial Police promotion with a view to balancing religious and ethnic divides in the country. 

• The Federal Government should stop sending delegation to all Islamic international organisations and let our Muslim counterparts be doing so as we are doing in all international Christian religious organisations. 

• The Federal Government should stop discriminating against our female Youth corps who refuse to wear the NYSC trousers for religious reasons since they allow their Muslim counterparts to wear hijab. 

• The victims of the consistent attacks should be assessed and adequately compensated. The victims in various IDPs be provided with adequate security and enough resources for continual survival. 

• It is painful and a betrayal to note that the government gives more attention to so called repentant terrorists than the victims of their evil with the claim that they are being reinstated and rehabilitated,   even into the Nigerian Army.  This is a major contradiction. 

OUR DECISIONS 

The CAN Leadership has declared Friday, 31st January to 2nd February, 2020 as days for Special Fasting and Prayer for Nigeria in all churches, home and abroad, for the gruesome killing of innocent Nigerians to stop and for our government to develop capacity to overcome the criminals troubling the nation. Sunday 2nd February, 2020 is declared a Special Prayer Walk by Christians in all the States of the Federation in the form of a procession to be led by States CAN Chairmen in their CAN Secretariats and pastors of churches in all churches in Nigeria. Churches should process round their area, pray for God's permanent intervention and help from all over the world so that all of us might not be consumed one by one. It appears our government is completely overwhelmed. Brutality of Nigerians is happening unabated daily. 

All Bloc Leaders, Zonal and States Chairmen, Leaders of Denominations and all Christians and concerned Nigerians should support and come out en-mass for the program. 

The Church is matching on and the gate of hell shall not prevail against it!

BUILDING STRONG SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP

BUILDING STRONG 

SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP.... The Indisputable Mandate 

The Lagos Central Baptist Conference focused on raising Kingdom People for Kingdom Projects and her leadership is built on structures around Men, Women and Youths with the support of the the Pastors and Deacons. All these organisations invest their strengths in church development, missions and evangelism.

The Men Missionary Union under the leadership of Deacon Femi Adebekun - a Director of Education with Lagos State Teaching Service Commission is waxing stronger. This year Leadership Training held at First Baptist Church, Festac Town, Lagos Nigeria on January 11, 2020.

Facilitators include, Rev. Dr Segun Musa, Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church Ahoyaya Town, Ibeju Lekki Ajah, Lagos Nigeria and Hon. Dr. Kayode Omiyale, Executive Chairman, Yaba Local Council Development Area of the Lagos State. Pastoral support was given by Rev. Dr. Victor Akerele Senior Pastor, First Baptist Church Festac Town, Lagos Nigeria. 

Rev. Segun Musa,  emphasised that "Spiritual Leadership is different from Political leadership. It is a Servant Leadership " To him, "the noble work or task of a Spiritual Leader is missionary in nature- leading men and women to Christ and gathering them together to serve others. " 

Hon Kayode Omiyale submitted that "Time Management is good and can only be effective when a Leader utilises the four Ds of Time Management - Delete, Defer, Delegate and Do." His conclusion is that "time is the only factor of life that when spent can never be regained. Therefore, it must be used purposefully." 

The Conference MMU Chairman, Deacon Femi Adebekun believes that "Leadership is the ability to inspire and influence a group of people to achieve a common set goal. " To him,  "the leadership strengths or weaknesses determine the performance of the organisation " 

The body appreciated the presence and ecclesiastical commitment of the the Rev. Dr. Kehinde Babarinde, President Lagos Central  Baptist Conference. He rounded off the entire seminar, leading all men  to  commit themselves to S-S-L- building STRONG SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP with servanthood heart. They are called to be proactive, innovative and engage in creative initiatives through delegation and mentoring. The slogan for the seminar is S-S-L- building STRONG SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP

Picture : Dn Femi Adebekun; Rev Dr Victor Akerele; Rev. Dr Kehinde Babarinde, Hon Kayode Omiyale and Rev. (Dr.) Segun Musa 

DISCIPLINED LEADERSHIP

DISCIPLINED LEADERSHIP will always produce a healthy church and a godly congregation as opposed to a bunch of crowd within holiness. The need for one's character to be the rider for the gospel can never be overemphasised. 

Dr OluSegun Adeleke is the Senior Pastor of Ikoyi Baptist Church Lagos 

Dr Akin Oyewopo is the Senior Pastor of Araromi Baptist Church, Moloney, Lagos 

Dr John Akinjide Adeyemo is the Senior Pastor of Victory Baptist Church, Ajah Lagos 

Rev Joshua Ojuwoni is the Senior Pastor First Baptist Church, Ajegunle Apapa, Lagos 

Kehinde Babarinde is the Conference President, Lagos Central Baptist Conference 

FORCED MARRIAGE, DENIED EDUCATION

"Our Girls Are Forced To Marry Muslims In The North"- CAN Cries Out

The Chairman of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Kaduna State Chapter, Rev. Joseph Hayab, has revealed the series of the persecution the Christian faith is subjected to in the northern part of the country.

He said Christian girls are being forcefully married off to Muslims and many of their brilliant children denied admission into higher institutions solely due to their religious confessions.

Hayab also lamented how Christians were being denied job placements across ministries and private organisations.

The Church Leader said a lot of his colleagues were afraid to speak against these maladies due to fear of the unknown.

He explained, "As a Christian and particular as Church leaders, you must be known with telling the truth of what is happening in the society so that the leadership of the country if it is a listening one will be able to amend itself to the reality of life.

"We have many of our young girls that have been forcefully married to Muslims and forcefully against their will being made to convert to different faith.

"Evidences abound in our higher institutions that our children cannot gain admission no matter their qualifications, or where they are given admission, they will not be given the course of their choice even if they have requisite qualifications to study such courses.

"In obtaining offer of appointment, the story is the same. A survey could be made to ascertain this allegations. One will be shocked to discover that what Christians are going through in the country especially in the north is far more than what we are crying for. The situation is so bad that we are looking unto God Almighty to arrest it for a better society where fairness and equity abound for all and sundry."

Hayab added, "As a Church, We must be seen standing and speaking for the truth in every situation because the Church of God in Nigeria is in pain. Those who love God and humanity must stand and speak out the truth every evil in the society. We should not fear man but God Almighty."