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Oritsejafor's CAN And Religious Intolerance

Religious intolerance in the north has worsened in recent times.We are daily inundated with news of killings and arsons of christians and churches respectively in various states of the north,to put it simply a christian in the north today is like an endangered specie.

Religious intolerance in the north has worsened in recent times.We are daily inundated with news of killings and arsons of christians and churches respectively in various states of the north,to put it simply a christian in the north today is like an endangered specie.

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The aim of this article is not to chronicle the history and/or causes of religious crisis in the country but to highlight the recent upsurge in violence and the role the Christian Association of Nigeria(CAN) and government(NIREC) can play in averting future crisis.

In my view,the present leadership of CAN has more than anyone else,contributed to rising level of intolerance in the country thereby putting at risk the lives and interest of the same christians she is meant to protect.I want to state here that CAN under pastor Ayo Oritsejafor has become more of a political and even worse a business group.Never in the history of CAN have we seen such a level of politcal meddling and partisanship in state matters by its leadership as has been done by Oritsejafor.

In the  build up to the last presidential elections he openly canvassed support for President Goodluck Jonathan. Suffice to add that this support was not based on any sterling qualities of the later, but was purely on ethnic, selfish
and pecuniary reasons.This  type of shameless partisanship has made
southerners,christians and churches easy targets of jihadist, terrorists, irredentists and other misguided elements in the north.

I am of the firm belief that leadership of religious groups like CAN should be by people with heavenly hearts and I am certain that Ayo Oritsejafor judging from his previous e.g Reihard Bonke issue and present records does not have that type of heart. l am not calling for a leadership change for CAN but that now that 2011 elections are over,they(leadership) should get focussed on the traditional roles of the association and stop merchandizing.

President Jonathan should deal decisively once and for all the threat of Boko Haram and other extremist groups in the country.The secularity of Nigeria is non-negotiable.He should initiate a dialogue between various segments of our society.The loss of one innocent life is too many.The president must act now.

 

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