El-Rufai’s apology vindicates our cries over killings in Kaduna – CAN

TRACKING______Kaduna State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), has reacted to the killing of 51 persons in some villages of the state on Sunday.

CAN Chairman, Rev. Joseph Hayab said Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s apology over the latest killings, has vindicated CAN’s cries over banditry and kidnapping which had led to the death of innocent souls in the state.

Governor El-Rufa’i had during his visit to the affected communities of Igabi and Giwa Local Government Areas on Monday, apologized to residents of communities over the attack.

El-Rufai had said during the visit: “I also came to apologize for the failure to protect you fully. We are doing our best to minimize such incidents, you should continue to forgive us.”

With this, Hayab said, the governor has vindicated the CAN’s cries that the state did not safe as a result of insecurity bedeviling it.

Saying that the governor had just begun to see for himself the extent of the security challenges bedeviling the state, the cleric added, “It is only when our leaders are beginning to ignore bad advisers around them that all is going to be well with the people just to keep their jobs going without giving true advice to those in authority with what is happening with the man in the street, we will never get it well in this country.”

Hayab maintained that their cries were often interpreted that CAN, as a body, was merely playing politics with security of lives and property of members.

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He said that the government and its agents had always claimed that the Christian body was crying wolf over the security challenges characterized by kidnapping and killings in the state.

Notwithstanding, he said the body of Christ won’t cease from offering constructive criticism to the state for development, adding that Christian leaders would continue to pray for the leaders of the country to have a fear of God in their approach to governance.

The CAN boss in a statement entitled, ‘At last el-Rufai eyes open,’ said: “When CAN cried out of the incessant killings going on in the state, some people unfortunately for whatever reasons best known to them, gave meanings to our cry and gave us different names for fighting the cause of humanity.

“Our concern in time past and till now has been let the common man on the street be safeguarded and feel secured like any other person.

“But when we begin to read different meanings to what somebody said either because we are not of the same faith or political affiliation, it serves as the beginning of our serious challenges in the society.

“We are happy to see and hear the remorse of governor El-Rufai in reaction to the killings of innocent Nigerians in Igabi and Giwa local government areas, as government’s inability to be able to properly ensure the safety of its citizens and the need for concerted efforts to be done to secure the people irrespective of who they are and where they come from. Life is life irrespective of whoever is affected.”

Hayab added:”As a people, CAN will not fail in its duty to give constructive criticism where the need arises and we are doing it for the overall peace, unity, understanding, and development of the society. God will hold us responsible if we fail to say what ought to be done regardless of what people feel about us if it is of good conscience and for the benefit of all humanity.

“We will continue to advise those in authority because their success is for the overall benefit of mankind while their failure will definitely be a major setback for society.

“As a Church, we will continue to also pray for God’s guardian, wisdom, understanding, and ability on the part of our leaders to be able to lead the people in the fear of the Almighty and see every section within their constituent as a divine obligation for them to be fair to all because God Almighty is not a respecter of man.

“As a body of Christ, we sincerely condole those who lost their beloved ones in the recent killings. We are also praying for the quick recovery of those who sustained different degrees of injuries and the trauma many went through. We pray for God’s intervention in the affairs of the state and the country as a whole so that the divine will of the Almighty will be seen to be done in the land.” He said.