The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has reacted to claim by an Islamic organisation, Jama’atu Nasril Islam, led by the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Abubakar Sa’ad III, that the process of selecting delegates to the National Conference was fair and will affect the credibility of its outcome.
The association also threatened to boycott the 2016 population census and subsequent exercises unless they underscore religion.
Secretary-General of JNI, Dr. Khalid Abubakar, had stated: “Christians, who by all acceptable records are not more than 40 per cent of the country’s population ironically constitute 62 per cent of the total delegates.”
But in a statement Saturday in Abuja, the General Secretary of CAN, Dr. Musa Asake, noted that inclusion of religion would correct certain negative impressions and rivalry about which religion has more adherents than others in the country.
He described the claim by JNI as an “unprovoked defamation of Nigerian Christians.”
“CAN may need to remind JNI of the argument and refusal of Muslims to include religion during the last census in Nigeria.
“We appeal to JNI not to use religion as a basis for their reservations about the National Conference. We believe the conference will do Nigeria a lot of good.
“The JNI should come out with the figures that make the Muslim population to be more than that of Christians as we in CAN will boycott future census in Nigeria beginning with the 2016 exercise if they do not include religion. Enough is enough!”
Continuing, “When and how are these figures by the international agencies arrived at? Which of the international agencies have census figures that Nigerians do not have?
“Has there been any census by international agencies in Nigeria? To put forward a suggestion or theory like this one by Khalid for others to consider should have been well thought out.
“In this case, the JNI Secretary-General goofed, having put out insensible arguments and thoughts. We are therefore challenging the Secretary-General of the JNI to make public the source of his population figures which shows that Christians in this country are 40 per cent.”
Asake insisted that if JNI fails to respond to the population issue, and produce their sources, it would use alternative means to ascertain the fact of their publication.
“We cannot continue to allow people like the JNI to be making reckless and false statements, bringing division among Christians and Muslims, when we are busy working hard to see that we live together in peace and harmony.
“The body of rules, ideas, principles and techniques that apply to subjects like census figures must be those matched by empirical evidence. Khalid’s ideas, thoughts and beliefs about 40 per cent Christian population and 62 per cent of delegates being Christians are therefore mere speculation and conjectures to buy in the idea of a region’s reluctance to attend the conference. It is another way of using religion to shoot down the conference,” CAN stated.
Posted: at 23-03-2014 08:30 PM (10 years ago) | Gistmaniac
paulohking at 23-03-2014 09:12 PM (10 years ago) (m)
controversial Islamist
Posted: at 23-03-2014 09:12 PM (10 years ago) | Hero
is a pity that we southerners are by far populated than the northern people of nigeria, nigeria christian are more populated than muslims, and they created more state in the north to win election, yet southerners are keeping quiet. enough is enough. nigeria is about 170 millions people,protestant are 75millions people, catholic are about 20 million people, exclude traditional worshipers, and yet muslims are claiming 50% of the populations are muslim. then what is wrong, as ibb and obasanjo
Posted: at 23-03-2014 09:23 PM (10 years ago) | Upcoming
omomalaga1 Since you see evil and you are supporting it because you are benefiting from it, the blood of the innocent people dying in that zoo simple because they belong to the contraption called Nigeria will be upon your head
Posted: at 23-03-2014 10:45 PM (10 years ago) | Upcoming
omomalaga1 at 23-03-2014 10:55 PM (10 years ago) (f)
Quote from: ken222 on 23-03-2014 10:45 PM
omomalaga1 Since you see evil and you are supporting it because you are benefiting from it, the blood of the innocent people dying in that zoo simple because they belong to the contraption called Nigeria will be upon your head
and may what apen to biafra in the civile war, apen to ur entire family again in this new genneration, amen and amen.
Posted: at 23-03-2014 10:55 PM (10 years ago) | Upcoming
Topsylucas at 24-03-2014 12:45 AM (10 years ago) (f)
Why re thez muslims troublesme? Why bring religion in2 a meetin where bornfools re merely goin 2 discus wot doesn't concern d poor man cos dey're only gatherin 2 discus hw 2 loot. Oya nw,if dey wan 2 knw who is more,let dem bring their fight 2 our doorsteps & c whose head wil roll 1st. Rubbish
Posted: at 24-03-2014 12:45 AM (10 years ago) | Gistmaniac
What I would have expected CAN to say, is that the Sultan give the distribution of all religion. I know that we have Christians, Muslims, Traditional worshippers ( Ogun, Olokun,etc), and Atheists. I don't believe that he said the remaining 60 % are Muslims. Let us look before we leap.
Posted: at 24-03-2014 04:08 AM (10 years ago) | Upcoming
escapedprince at 24-03-2014 07:58 AM (10 years ago) (m)
Religion should not be the entire focus of the SNC ! Religion is an interpretation, hence why it's called " faith" and not "law" and exactly why the two should be kept separate , Any religious law should be kept far from politics and how a country should be governed .
Posted: at 24-03-2014 07:58 AM (10 years ago) | Gistmaniac
dondada4040 at 24-03-2014 08:03 AM (10 years ago) (m)
The population that go to church in this country is about 70% while others are the remaining 30% including the Muslims. Let's get a simple statistics from the number of churches and mosques with the attendees, available in the country, there will not be a need for argument. We have more churches in the north while in other parts of the country it is average of 40churches to one mosque. There is no mosque in the country that can produce the congregation we have in winner's and redeem headquarters in a Sunday. I rest my case.
Posted: at 24-03-2014 08:03 AM (10 years ago) | Upcoming
factfinding at 24-03-2014 09:08 AM (10 years ago) (m)
Who don;t know that Nigerian is Christian owned country ? Muslim are just a visitors among the Christians , they are like a tenant claiming to be owner of the house where their living,i am not even sure if Muslims are up to 20% in Nigerian
Posted: at 24-03-2014 09:08 AM (10 years ago) | Gistmaniac
WHY ARE WE TAKING NON ISSUE TO BE ISSUE. HE SAID 40% ARE CHRISTIANS, HE DIDN'T SAY MUSLIMS ARE 60%. BCOS WE HAVE MUSLIMS, CHRISTIANS AND OTHER RELIGIONS. SO BE CAREFUL WITH YOUR COMMENT.
Posted: at 24-03-2014 09:54 AM (10 years ago) | Newbie
paulohking
nobleladyG
lakman
vantheo
italianjob
yettyness
ken222
omomalaga1
okilo101
Topsylucas
Patode
DrSoba
Aleksander
dareper
escapedprince
factfinding
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