“While we appreciate the concern of the protesters over the issues they raised and the call for a better nation, we strongly believe, as the umbrella body for Christians and churches in Nigeria, to which the Redeemed Christian Church of God and Pastor Adeboye belong, that to single out one of our leaders and members, to say the least, is unfair. The entire exercise, in our view, was ill-motivated."
The apex body for Christians in Nigeria, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), has described as “unfair” singling out Pastor Enoch Adeboye.
In a statement yesterday in Jos, the Plateau State by CAN National Director of Legal and Public Affairs, Evangelist Kwamkur Samuel the Christian body said it is ill-motivated for individuals to call for the suspension of Pastor Adeboye.
CAN said: “The attention of CAN has been drawn to the news of a protest led by some secular musicians against one of our highly respected leaders of the Church, not only in Nigeria but worldwide, namely, the General Overseer of Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch A. Adeboye, over his purported silence on some unpleasant national issues and the call for his suspension from the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN).
“While we appreciate the concern of the protesters over the issues they raised and the call for a better nation, we strongly believe, as the umbrella body for Christians and churches in Nigeria, to which the Redeemed Christian Church of God and Pastor Adeboye belong, that to single out one of our leaders and members, to say the least, is unfair. The entire exercise, in our view, was ill-motivated.
“The people who staged this insulting protest against a highly revered servant of God in the person of Pastor Adeboye are totally ignorant of the operations of CAN. It needs to be known to all that for more than once, Pastor Adebayo has addressed the press and said that as a ‘man under authority’, he cannot speak over issues that CAN or PFN have spoken about, unless by the express permission of these two bodies.
“Our highly respected Pastor Adeboye is an unusually humble man and a man of the spirit, who has learnt to operate under authority in line with scriptural injunctions as a servant of God. He has said more than once that he cannot say anything again after CAN and PFN have spoken about issues.
“Any protest against Pastor Adeboye will be seen by us as a systematic insult against the leaders of the church in Nigeria. Why should any group of people think that it is their right to protest and demand that Pastor Adeboye should speak over the issues they listed when CAN and PFN have spoken on them?
“…For emphasis, if we go the memory lane, for not less than three occasions, CAN has taken many of the issues which the protesters were mentioning to President Muhammadu Buhari, requesting the government to do more to get the people in captivity released, such as the remaining Chibok girls, Leah Sharibu, the captive of faith and Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, the Islamic preacher who is still kept in detention against the ruling of the court…”