of Nigeria{CAN} has called on President Goodluck Jonathan to as a matter of
urgency dismiss the whole idea of amnesty to the Boko Haram sect, as it would
be an invitation to confusion in the country.
The General Secretary of CAN, Rev Musa Asake
stated this when he addressed journalists on Tuesday in Abuja.
He said that instead, the Federal Government
should begin the process of compensating and alleviating the sufferings of the
victims of the sect.
CAN called on President Jonathan to ignore the
Northern elders who were putting pressure on him and turning serious security
matters into politics.
Asake also stated that CAN was embarrassed by the
same calling for amnesty by the Ja’amatu Nasril Islam{JNI}, which it said
should be seen as the leading light of Islam by its truth and fairness all the
times, had veered off the path in its quest of hood winking the world from the
cruelty of Boko Haram against Christians in the North.
He further stated that John Cardinal Onaiyekan and
Bishop Matthew Kukah did not have the moral or institutional authority to speak
for Nigerian Christians, as they had supported the position of the JNI.
He said that it was only CAN that was vested with
such powers, noting that supporting amnesty for Boko Haram, was their own
opinions.
Asake said that statistics released by
International Agencies showed that more Christians were killed in the year 2012
alone, for their faith than the rest of the world combined.
He said “in the last three years, besides the
isolated bombings in Abuja, the Boko Haram have bombed over 200 churches and
killed over 1250 Christians worshiping in their churches.
The General secretary added that the arrogant and
deriding manner that the sect had dismissed the prospect for amnesty to it had
reinforced CAN’s assertion that their only interest is to eliminate Christians
in the North.
He said: “CAN will not fail to point out that the
present clamour for amnesty to the sect members by the Sultan of Sokoto and his
cohorts is a strategy to drive home the message of reaping from where they did
not sow.
“It is a strategy to get a better deal for those
they have impoverished for years. By canvassing for amnesty, the JNI is
promoting the culture of crass impunity that desecrates the sanctity of human
life”
Governor of Imo State, Owelle Rochas Okorocha on
Tuesday in Abuja cautioned leaders in the country to solve the challenge posed
by Boko Haram attacks and stop what he called cynical blames over the challenge.
Okorocha in making the call noted that
bloodletting in the country currently surpasses what obtained during the civil
war.
This came as his Niger State counterpart,
Babangida Aliyu insisted that members of the group did not represent Islam, did
not know and fight for the religion, even as he argued that members of the sect
engaged in things that were anti-Islam.
Speaking at an annual conference and award
ceremony organized by Leadership newspaper, Gov Okorocha cautioned that this is
not a time to point accusing fingers nor engage in pointing cynical blame of
responsibility.
He insisted that the problem of the nation lied on
leadership and one that had nothing to do with followership.
The governor maintained that what the nation
needed was visionary leaders and that the citizens must begin to choose leaders
who have visions.
