CAN Dissolves NCEF Passes Vote of Confidence on its President

CAN/Ag.GS/OGMAILS/205

The Chairman November 23, 2018
National Christian Elders’ Forum (NCEF)
Elder Solomon Asemota (SAN)
Abuja

Dear Sir,

NATIONAL CHRISTIAN ELDERS’ FORUM (NCEF): LETTER OF DISSOLUTION BY AND DISSOCIATION FROM THE CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA

The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), at its meeting of Tuesday, November 20, 2018, after reviewing its relationship with the NCEF, came to a firm resolution that our dealings with your organization should come to an end forthwith.

There is no doubt that the NCEF is made up of several very highly respected elders with amiable pedigree, and we wish to place this on record. However, when the right people consistently feed and act upon misinformation, they are bound to be counterproductive.

We recalled that by the authorization of CAN NEC, the then President, Pastor Ayo Oristejafor, inaugurated the NCEF on Thursday, January 15, 2015, with the aim of coming together to promote the cause of the Christian Faith in Nigeria through useful collaborative efforts. However, it has become clear to us that the exact opposite of our expectations in inaugurating your group is the current experience we are having with you.

In view of the above, CAN NEC hereby informs you that our collaboration with your group is officially dissolved and all dealings with you as a body, are hereby discontinued. This decision is premised upon the authority by which you were inaugurated.

Yours Sincerely,

Signed

Barr Joseph Daramola
Ag. General Secretary,
cangensec@yahoo.com
daramolajosephbade@yahoo.com
08033474391
 

CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA
COMMUNIQUE ISSUED ON THE NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE (NEC) MEETING HELD ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2018 AT THE NATIONAL CAN SECRETARIAT, ABUJA

The Christian Association of Nigeria is fully aware of the numerous provocative publications through various media services which have been gaining rounds in recent weeks, making it appear as if the Association has lost its direction and focus. Most of those publications have been released by either of two broad categories of people. One group is that of innocent but ignorant people, who do not know the truth of happenings in CAN. This group believes news without finding out and makes publications which are completely false and unfounded. The other category is made up of people who are intentionally mischievous because they have not been having their way of gaining control of the Association. They have sought to make CAN “business as usual”, but they have found stiff resistance in the current CAN leadership. They got hold of the Vice President of the Association to levy accusations against his principal in order to bring him to disrepute before the world and the Association. CAN leadership became very concerned and set up a committee to investigate all allegations against the CAN President.  And while the CAN President made himself available to the panel with documentary evidences, his accuser, the CAN Vice President, refused to appear before the committee in spite of all attempts made to ensure his appearance.
In view of the foregoing, the National Executive Committee of CAN met on October 12, 2018 and November 20, 2018 to consider and resolve on the report of the Reconciliation Committee. The following resolutions were made after elaborate discussions:
8. That the CAN President should be appreciated for his courageous leadership at such a time as this in the history of our nation. The CAN National Executive Committee is particularly pleased with the CAN President for consistently speaking out about the plight of numerous voiceless people in our country, chiefly, on the terrorist activities as unleashed by the Boko Haram, the Fulani Herdsmen and other terrorist groups on innocent Nigerians. His struggle for the release of the remaining Chibok School girls, Miss Leah Sharibu, a captive of her Christian faith, by the Boko Haram group, and other innocent captives all over the country has been greatly applauded.
9. That the CAN President should be appreciated for his great concern and positive actions in caring for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP’s) all over the country. The Association recalled how CAN leadership travelled from State to State in the country, rendering support to people who have been displaced from their homes.
10. The CAN President should be appreciated for leading CAN in interfaith activities which were almost completely closed up before he assumed office. It was noticed that it was at his time that NIREC was revived and officials who were not giving the organization the needed cooperation and cohesion were replaced.
11. The CAN President was applauded for giving great attention to people with physical challenges and for setting up a committee to look into their plight.
12. The CAN President was appreciated for recognizing and opening room for various Christian organizations to collaborate with CAN from across the country and beyond.
13. The CAN President was appreciated for his ability to bring together Christian leaders from across the country to deliberate on moving the Nigerian Church forward. This was an unprecedented feat.
14. The CAN President was appreciated for ensuring that various court cases all over the country were withdrawn for  out-of-court settlement.
In view of the above, the National Executive Committee, at its meeting of Tuesday, November 20, 2018, unanimously applauded the CAN President for these and other achievements. NEC sees all the negative and baseless publications against the CAN President
as mere distractions and a calculated attempt to malign his integrity and derail him from his focus of giving CAN credible leadership.  According to CAN NEC, “We must not be ignorant of the devices of the enemy” (II Cor. 2:11). In addition, the following decisions were made by CAN NEC:
1. That CAN immediately dissolves the National Christian Elders’ Forum (NCEF) which was inaugurated on Thursday, January 15, 2015 by the powers conferred on the then CAN President. CAN NEC, by the same powers that inaugurated the forum, forthwith dissolves and dissociates completely from the NCEF in view of the incongruous and unacceptable operations manifested consistently by the group.

2. That CAN NEC dismisses in its entirety, the publication of the immediate past National Youth CAN Chairman, Mr. Daniel David Kadzai, who, in the Guardian Newspaper of Monday, November 12, 2018, p.9  alleged that the CAN President defrauded CAN of “over N2.8 billion”. CAN regrets that a man who had served the Association in the past, and was tolerated in spite of his numerous incompetent leadership skills, could not only be malicious, but impersonate himself as Chairman of the Congress of Northern Nigerian Christians (CNNC). Although he has apologized for his falsehood by the said publication and has verbally retracted his claims, and the CNNC has equally denied him of being their Chairman, it is important to set the records straight. However, because he has apologized to CAN leadership, he has been forgiven in the spirit of Christ as recorded in Matthew 6:14-15.

The meeting ended with the entire house passing a VOTE OF CONFIDENCE IN THE CAN PRESIDENT, HIS EMINENCE, REV DR SAMSON AYOKUNLE and urging him to forge ahead with his good work in CAN.
Signed

BARR. DARAMOLA JOSEPH BADE       BISHOP S.T.V. ADEGBITE
CAN Ag. General Secretary                             Director, National Issues
cangensec@yahoo.com                                       stvadegbite@yahoo.com
daramolajosephbade@yahoo.com                          08023034511
08033474391