Congress of Northern Nigeria Christians (CNNC) expressed dissatisfaction over the gruesome murders of traditional rulers in Kaduna State .
According to the group , which is a registered body of all Christians in the 19 Northern States and the FCT, “CNNC is clearly saddened by the gruesome murder of the Agom Adara, His Royal Highness, Dr Maiwada Galadima (JP) , that of Etum Numana, Mallam Gambo Makama and his expectant wife killed January 1st this very year.
In a statement signed by its Media and Publicity Secretary ,Larry Joseph Yammai, ” CNNC said , ” This reprehensible act that should have no place in today’s Nigeria has not only taken root in Northern Nigeria but appears to be a recurrent decimal with some ease within the communities of our members.
The Statement further reads : “We are seriously concerned at the disgraceful security situation in Kaduna State that has claimed over 100 lives and destroyed unquantifiable properties this October. The situation has been clearly exacerbated by the lack of unbiased leadership in the state which has further alienated the citizens along religious fault lines. Apprehension has taken hold of the entire Kaduna State and so CNNC wishes to express her trepidations over the probable spillover effects into other states and so calls on the President Muhammadu Buhari to quickly set up a high-power body to investigate these shameful acts with the aim to find lasting peace.
“CNNC once more notes with grave concern the rapid deterioration of the security situation across the nation particularly in the northeast. It is of great concern that Boko Haram is reported to be resisting and overrunning the Nigerian Army, even with the recent attack on the 145 Battalion in Gashigar, Borno State. Whether the military is motivated and has enough and requisite equipment to execute this war is a matter of conjecture.
“CNNC has been inundated with reports of clandestine burial of Nigeria’s fallen heroes in the course of fighting insurgency in the Northeast and elsewhere. We believe that any citizen that has signed up to defend this great country deserves the highest Medal of Honor, the recognition the country can offer and to be treated as the heroes they truly are.
“Where relations of service men are barely informed of the demise of their beloved ones and burials conducted seemingly behind closed doors does not honor them for the supreme price they have paid. CNNC asks that they be exhumed and given the decent burial they so deserve.
“CCNC also notes with trepidation the continuous and wanton destruction of lives and property by the terrorist killer Fulani Herdsmen on the Plateau and other locations as it begs the question of how much killing will be termed illegal before this government will arrest the perpetrators of these heinous crimes? As if that wasn’t enough, innocent villagers where these killings are taking place are now being rounded up for indiscriminate arrests by the military forcing them to flee their homes while their killers walk free.
“The semblance of giving more protection, concern and cover by the government to a certain set of people while leaving the other exposed only exacerbates the already fragile mistrust that has overtime been allowed to simmer. CNNC calls for swift and deliberate rounding up of these killers so they can face the full wrath of the law.
“CNNC has also noted that the Killer Fulani Herdsmen attacks are mostly on Christian dominated enclaves and have the grand signature of a well calculated, oiled and administered tactical masterpiece to completely sack our members from these areas so that they could be disenfranchised come the 2019 elections. After these communities have been over-ran and occupied by these terrorist elements and the government appears unwilling to exert the big stick, it has become crystal clear that 2019 is one of the game plans that is at play and that the Nigerian Government led by Mr. President, Muhammadu Buhari is equally unwilling to resettle these farmers that were sacked from their lands by these terrorist Fulani Herdsmen. This inaction has 2 devastating effect on these farmers. One, that they are not being reunited with their lands and so cannot engage in farming – their only way of survival. Consequently, there shall be massive food shortages with the government taking no visible steps to plug this anomaly. Secondly, these farmers shall be disenfranchised with the 2019 elections. It is in this light that CNNC once again calls upon President Muhammadu Buhari to as a matter of urgency constitute a high-powered commission to resettle these displaced citizens in their lands and communities and give them the adequate security they deserve as Nigerians and allow them to continue to live and function as such.
“It has also been noted by CNNC that in this country called Nigeria, which is secular and which her constitution guarantees every citizen the freedom of choice and freedom to practice the religion one so desires, Christians in many Northern states are being denied land to build their places of worship and if already built are denied the acquisition of Certificates of Occupancy. This is not only dangerous but a complete disregard of the Nigerian Constitution. This is a clear and unambiguous signal that these States no longer wish to live together with their Christian counterparts. The Federal Government must as a matter of urgency and in the interest of national unity, not only put a stop to these unwholesome acts but reverse same.
“CNNC is concerned that in the just concluded gubernatorial elections in Ekiti and Osun States, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, not only became an eyewitness in election rigging through votes buying but was also a reporter of the crime with no visible steps taken to sanction severely those that made these infractions. That leaves everyone begging the question – are these the signs of things to come in the 2019 General Elections? It would appear that the government has impoverished the citizens and the poverty has become a weapon to get at the electorates so that a few Naira notes could be dangled for them to vote certain candidates while INEC and the security agencies look the other way.
“CNNC is also aware that Mr. President called the mother of Leah Sharibu to assure her that the government is doing all it can to secure Leah’s release, a promise everyone is looking forward with great expectation. It should however be recalled that it is not the first time that leadership will make such commitment. Government should therefore follow this commitment with concrete action otherwise it is a mere rhetoric. CNNC demands the immediate release of Leah Sharibu and the remaining Chibok girls.
“CNNC notes with bewilderment the staggering statistics of the Nigerian Children that are out of school. Education must be the bedrock of every society that needs to progress. To note that Nigeria is a leading nation with children out of school is not just callous but downright scary. It is a fact that majority of these are in Northern Nigeria exacerbated by the harsh economic reality of the Nigerian parents. It is the Government’s responsibility to reverse this ugly state. A cursory look at funding of education viz-a-viz others in the 2018 budget has clearly suggested where we are headed. CNNC demands that premium steps be taken to address this situation.
” In conclusion CNNC calls upon all its membership to remain vigilant and prayerful for the leadership.”
