COMMUNIQUE ISSUED AT THE PRESIDENT-IN-COUNCIL MEETING OF THE CHRISTIAN LAWYERS FELLOWSHIP OF NIGERIA (CLASFON) HELD IN ABUJA FROM THE 9TH - 11TH NOVEMBER, 2017.
INTRODUCTION:
The last quarterly meeting of the President-in-Council of CLASFON comprising the National Executive Officers and Chairmen and Secretaries of all the 40 branches of CLASFON held at Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria, from the 9th day of November 2017 to the 11th day of November 2017 to deliberate on issues concerning the Nation and CLASFON.
ISSUES:
The meeting deliberated on the following national issues amongst others:
1. General administration and governance of our country
2. State of insecurity in the Nation
3. The menace of Herdsmen
4. Abduction of young girls in the northern region
5. The issue of Islamization of Nigeria
6. Scrapping of the Customary Court of Appeal in Nasarawa State
7. Undue militarization of the polity
RESOLUTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
The resolutions and recommendations arising from the issues deliberated upon are as follows:
1. CLASFON notes with dismay the continuous spate of kidnappings in Nigeria, particularly Clergymen, and the apparent helplessness of the Nigeria Police Force to rescue the victims resulting in huge sums of money being paid as ransom to the kidnappers, thereby further exacerbating the poor financial conditions of the victims and their family members. CLASFON therefore calls on the Federal Government and all security outfits to take urgent and definite steps to tackle this heinous crime in accordance with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution as amended, guaranteeing the security of lives and properties of all citizens. The Government is further called upon to properly equip the Nigeria Police to enable them effectively discharge their duties under the law.
2. CLASFON views with increasing alarm the unabated scourge of the herdsmen as they continue to wantonly destroy the lives and properties of innocent members of their host communities. We therefore reiterate our earlier calls on the Federal Government to apprehend and arrest the perpetrators, prosecute them to face the full wrath of the law, and compensate the victims in the interest of justice.
3. CLASFON observes with grave concern the levity with which the Government and her agencies treat the abduction of young girls in the Northern Region of the country where they are forced into early marriages. We believe this is an infringement of the fundamental human rights of the young girls as well as being a criminal offence. We therefore demand proper investigation and prosecution of the offenders no matter their position in the society.
4. CLASFON frowns at the scrapping of the Customary Court of Appeal in Nasarawa State by a mere executive pronouncement by the Governor of Nasarawa State. This act constitutes a flagrant disregard of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and respect for the rule of law. We therefore call on the Governor of Nasarawa State to retract his pronouncement and act within the ambits of the law.
5. CLASFON reiterates the fact that Nigeria is a secular state; therefore Nigeria’s membership of the Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC) and other Islamic organizations is a blatant violation of our Constitution. We therefore lend our voice in support of the demand by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) for the Federal Government to recognize the secular status of Nigeria through Government policies and actions and the withdrawal of Nigeria from the membership of these religious organizations.
6. CLASFON further observes with dismay the continued decay of the Nation’s infrastructures particularly the roads and medical facilities etc. and calls for urgent repairs, maintenance and upgrading of these facilities by the Government.
7. CLASFON notes the repeated calls from well meaning Nigerians for the restructuring of our polity and urge that this should be attended to as a matter of urgency to enable us as Nigerians to attain our collective aspirations for a genuine federalism.
8. CLASFON commends the efforts of the Military in tackling insurgency in Nigeria but observes the subtle militarization of the polity with the setting up of all sorts of military operations perceived by many Nigerians as targeted at silencing legitimate ventilation of grievances, and with the attendant breach of the fundamental rights of the citizenry due to the high-handedness of the Military; accordingly, we demand that the Federal Government take urgent and decisive steps to stem this disturbing trend.
9. Finally, CLASFON will continue to work with the Federal Government of Nigeria in promoting the rule of law, fight against corruption and ensuring the delivery of good governance to the generality of Nigerians.
Signed:
AROME OKWORI ESQ TUNJI OMOLE ESQ.
NATIONAL PRESIDENT NATIONAL SECRETARY
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