Speak against injustice, others – CAN tells North-East leaders
By Ladi Jossy, Maiduguri
Archbishop Daniel Okoh, the President of Christians Association of Nigeria(CAN), has urged Christians in the northeast region to speak against injustice in the wake of insecurity and hunger currently bedeviling the country.
Okoh was speaking at an event organized to inaugurate newly elected North-East CAN Executive members held in Maiduguri on Tuesday.
He noted that leaders at all levels must put aside their personal interests and come together work together to rescue the nation.
Okoh who was represented by Ozumba Emmanuel, National Director of Education Youths and Women CAN, lamented that the northeast region and entire nation is now being faced with untold crises due to Boko Haram terrorists, Banditry and economic hardships.
“Today Nigeria has been bedeviled by some many challenges of insecurity that has brought many setbacks and northeast has been the most worse hit by crisis. Today insecurity is now general things everywhere and we as Christians must ensure we preach peaceful coexistence, irrespective of our religions, beliefs, tribes and ethnicity.
“I urge the leaders to put aside personal interests and work together to restore peace, peace is not one man affairs, it is an affair that everybody must be involved. There are no good leadership without good followership; when the people are hungry they can’t be able to understand the government. So we leaders should work in the interest of the common man.
“I urge the new zonal executives to be united and fight for justice, justice doesn’t require you are fighting for your religion, it means when you are fighting justice for the interest of common man, today we need voices, we need men that are courageous enough to speak about the injustice that is going on in our nation, and we need people who will speak to power. To point out the area where the government need to improve on welfare and development the society,”he said.
In his acceptance speech, Most Rev. Mohammed Naga, the New North-East CAN Chairman, said northeast zone has gone through several challenges of insurgency and economic hardship suffered by already overstretched people.
“We are appealing to our governors to continue cushioning this unwarranted hardship. Our people have been dependent on the strength God has given them, we urge our security operatives to continue doing their best in curbing this unrest, so that people can have air of freedom to go about their daily legitimate business.”Naga urged.
Most Rev John Bakeni, the State Chairman (CAN), urged the newly inaugurated executives to work tirelessly towards the common good of the Christian community and people of the region.
Other northeast CAN members inaugurated include Chaplain Jechonia Gilbert, Vice Chairman; Apostle Sunday, Secretary; Rev Fr. Emmanuel Obidah, Assistant Secretary and Rev Dr Dauda Zambuk, Treasurer among others.
