Stop Blame Game, Do the Needful - Dogara tells Buhari

....At these moments of intense outpouring of grief across the nation, it is important that we shun buck passing and accept responsibility for these wanton killings without which we will never find a solution to this evil. We cannot afford to fold our hands and pretend that all is well with our country. We cannot throw up our hands in defeat. We have a responsibility to all Nigerians regardless of creed or ethnicity in line with the constitutionally stated primary purpose of the government we serve in, which is securing the welfare including the lives and property of our people. This we must do by ensuring that every law abiding Nigerian is protected where ever he choses to live in the country and every one who is up in arms against our citizens is quickly brought to justice where ever they are in the country. That there are no sanctuaries anywhere in the country for killers and other hardened criminals who feed on the blood of our people.

Our job as leaders is to hold our people together and ensure that no one or group is allowed to foist the reign of tragedy and group polarisation on our dear nation. Those who pride themselves in violence must be reminded of the self defeating nature of violence: the fact that violence only begets violence and that true victory has never been won by violence. It was Mahatma Gandhi who delivered a timeless rebuke to the fools who worship brute force by reminding them that, “victory attained by violence is tantamount to a defeat for it is momentary”. We have to preach this message to our people who must not only accept the inevitability of conflict as well as the necessity for tolerance  but must learn not to pursue conflict violently but democratically, in ways that result in compromise and consensus as the culture of democracy demands.

This House has passed many Resolutions on the issue of herdsmen, cattle grazing and cattle rustling. These Resolutions include but not limited to: HR 127/2015, HR. 291/2015, HR.36/2016, HR. 77/2016, HR. 123/2016, HR. 144/2016, HR. 187/2016, HR. 164/2016, HR. 85/2017, HR. 199/2017, HR. 08/2017, HR.09/2017, HR.118/2016. There have also been several resolutions on kidnapping, Boko Haram Terrorism and sundry security matters. These resolutions are more of a wakeup call to the Executive on its Constitutional obligations in governance. The accentuation of violent crimes is a chronic symptom of defects in our security architecture which we must fix. I therefore call on Mr President to apply maximum sanctions on public officers who are derelict in the performance of their duties.

Hon. Dogara 

FUEL SCARCITY: Buhari Betrayed Reps - Speaker

We embarked on the recess at a period of great hardship faced by our constituents. The unending and shameful story of fuel shortage reached an unbearable level as to make traveling and other economic activities almost impossible. We expected that with the legislative cooperation given to the Executive arm, to effect an increase in the fuel price from N87 per litre to N145, and based on their assurances, incidents of fuel scarcity would be a thing of the past. We were also assured that fuel subsidy had come to an end. From recent developments on this subject, except the Executive adduces compelling reasons why the reverse is the case, we will be justified in feeling betrayed.


As a parliament, we must unravel the causes of this scarcity and the alleged re-introduction of fuel subsidy. I charge our relevant Committees to get to the root of these issues through the instrumentality of oversight to enable the House take an informed position on this totally undeserving precarious situation that our already overburdened citizens are subjected to. This has to be done with minimal delay.

Hon Dogara while welcoming Reps back from break.

Violence Begets Violence - Dogara Cautions Fulani

WELCOME SPEECH BY RT. HONOURABLE YAKUBU DOGARA, SPEAKER, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA ON THE OCCASION OF RESUMPTION OF THE HOUSE FROM CHRISTMAS/NEW YEAR RECESS ON 16TH JANUARY, 2018.

PROTOCOLS:

My dear Honourable Colleagues, I welcome you back to the plenary of the House, from the Christmas and New Year recess and also commend you for the Committee assignments you have been undertaking since the 8th of January, 2018. I hope you, as usual, spent time with your constituents during this period. I also expect that you have briefed them on legislative activities conducted so far on their behalf. The Recess also presented us with opportunity to get feedback on the problems and developments in our various constituencies which should aid our performance going forward.

2. We embarked on the recess at a period of great hardship faced by our constituents. The unending and shameful story of fuel shortage reached an unbearable level as to make traveling and other economic activities almost impossible. We expected that with the legislative cooperation given to the Executive arm, to effect an increase in the fuel price from N87 per litre to N145, and based on their assurances, incidents of fuel scarcity would be a thing of the past. We were also assured that fuel subsidy had come to an end. From recent developments on this subject, except the Executive adduces compelling reasons why the reverse is the case, we will be justified in feeling betrayed.

3. As a parliament, we must unravel the causes of this scarcity and the alleged re-introduction of fuel subsidy. I charge our relevant Committees to get to the root of these issues through the instrumentality of oversight to enable the House take an informed position on this totally undeserving precarious situation that our already overburdened citizens are subjected to. This has to be done with minimal delay.

4. Honourable Colleagues, we are all painfully aware of the wave of murders of innocent Nigerians that has been sweeping through the nation. From the senseless killings in Rivers State, to the killing rampages in Benue, Taraba, Kaduna, Zamfara, Adamawa, Edo and other States; our dear country is now being painted red with the blood of the innocents on account of unremitting bedlam callously promoted by cold hearted merchants of death.

5. On behalf of the House of Representatives, I wish to convey our heartfelt condolences to the governments, people, and especially families of those who have lost loved ones in these primitive, mindless and despicable rounds of bloodletting across our dear country.

6. At these moments of intense outpouring of grief across the nation, it is important that we shun buck passing and accept responsibility for these wanton killings without which we will never find a solution to this evil. We cannot afford to fold our hands and pretend that all is well with our country. We cannot throw up our hands in defeat. We have a responsibility to all Nigerians regardless of creed or ethnicity in line with the constitutionally stated primary purpose of the government we serve in, which is securing the welfare including the lives and property of our people. This we must do by ensuring that every law abiding Nigerian is protected where ever he choses to live in the country and every one who is up in arms against our citizens is quickly brought to justice where ever they are in the country. That there are no sanctuaries anywhere in the country for killers and other hardened criminals who feed on the blood of our people.

7. Our job as leaders is to hold our people together and ensure that no one or group is allowed to foist the reign of tragedy and group polarisation on our dear nation. Those who pride themselves in violence must be reminded of the self defeating








 nature of violence: the fact that violence only begets violence and that true victory has never been won by violence. It was Mahatma Gandhi who delivered a timeless rebuke to the fools who worship brute force by reminding them that, “victory attained by violence is tantamount to a defeat for it is momentary”. We have to preach this message to our people who must not only accept the inevitability of conflict as well as the necessity for tolerance  but must learn not to pursue conflict violently but democratically, in ways that result in compromise and consensus as the culture of democracy demands.

8. This House has passed many Resolutions on the issue of herdsmen, cattle grazing and cattle rustling. These Resolutions include but not limited to: HR 127/2015, HR. 291/2015, HR.36/2016, HR. 77/2016, HR. 123/2016, HR. 144/2016, HR. 187/2016, HR. 164/2016, HR. 85/2017, HR. 199/2017, HR. 08/2017, HR.09/2017, HR.118/2016. There have also been several resolutions on kidnapping, Boko Haram Terrorism and sundry security matters. These resolutions are more of a wakeup call to the Executive on its Constitutional obligations in governance. The accentuation of violent crimes is a chronic symptom of defects in our security architecture which we must fix. I therefore call on Mr President to apply maximum sanctions on public officers who are derelict in the performance of their duties.

9. In the same vein, our security related Committees must aggressively conduct oversight of the various MDA’s and institutions handling security matters, to detect lapses in the operations of these security agencies and pro-actively ensure compliance with approved funds and procurement of appropriate equipment.

10. Dear Colleagues, you will recall that on Tuesday, 13th June, 2017, this House convened a Joint meeting with all the Service Chiefs, Inspector-General of Police, the Hon. Ministers of Defence, and Interior, Heads of Para-military services on the State of our National Security. Our security-related Committees were expected to conduct a follow-up action on all the issues canvassed, and the House expects to be briefed soon. Only 2 days ago, Mr. President, Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria, briefed the President of the Senate and I on measures being taken to contain killer Herdsmen and other criminals who kill with impunity across National flash points. I won’t speak to the measures because of the sensitivity of security issues and in order not to jeopardise ongoing operations. However, I must say that I m totally satisfied that if Mr President’s Plan is carried out to the latter, we will sooner than later begin to see the desired fruits.

11. Dear Hon. Colleagues, as you are aware, the 2018 Appropriation Bill is before us for legislative action. We have promised to do our utmost to pass it expeditiously. We should keep our word. However, this can only be possible if the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) cooperate effectively with relevant Committees of the House by providing the required information as may be requested of them. I understand, from reports reaching me, that there is lack of cooperation from some of the MDAs, and I call on the Heads of all MDAs to expedite action on demands from our Committees. We should all in a constructive manner, resolve any problems that may hinder the smooth and early passage of the Budget. The deadline we have given to ourselves must remain sacrosanct.

12. As we enter 2018, political activities will pick up. We must however remember that we were elected to represent the people for a four year term. The work is not finished. This is the time to conclude many outstanding legislative measures pending before us.

13. Dear Colleagues, the economy, must remain the central focus of our legislative activities in 2018, in order to consolidate Nigeria’s exit from economic recession. To this end, we must prioritise high economic impact Bills  and pass them before the onset of political activities. The Committee on Rules and Business is hereby charged to schedule the consideration of these Bills at the earliest possible time.
14. The Electoral Act Amendment process must be speedily concluded, this first quarter. Same with Constitutional alteration process, especially those on electoral matters. The Rules of the game must be clear to the actors early enough before the game begins. This is absolutely necessary in order to improve on the standards we set in the last general elections.

15. Furthermore, the practice of divesting various Ad-Hoc and Standing Committees with jurisdiction over referrals that have refused or neglected to submit their Reports on various Bills and Resolutions would continue in the new year. We would strengthen the Rules and Business Committee of the House, which is the secretariat of the Committee of Whole, to consider the Reports divested from various Committees. Indeed, all Ad-Hoc Committees that have not submitted their Reports within the time frame given to them, and without getting an extension of time from the House would be divested of jurisdiction and that without further notice.

16. In conclusion, may I use this opportunity to once again thank all of you for all your support to the leadership of the House since 2015 and to plead that we work even harder this year to justify our mandate and to set a record of legislative productivity that will be difficult for our successors to equal.

15. Hon. Colleagues, the economic and security challenges facing the county are daunting. Indeed at no time in the recent past has the nation’s peace and unity been so vigorously and persistently challenged. This however is the real test for true leadership. I believe that together with God on our side, we shall solve our economic, social, and political problems. It is my hope that we faint not as we run this race and when we hit the finish line, all of us shall breast the tape standing tall.

16. God bless you and may God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Nigerian Christians Support Trump on Jerusalem

TRUMP’S DECLARATION ON JERUSALEM AS THE CAPITAL OF ISREAL IS IN ORDER
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) is compelled once again, to draw the attention of the Buhari Administration to the non-aligned status of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in international conflicts. We have had cause to express great apprehension when in December 2015, President Buhari, without giving consideration to Section 10 of the Constitution, as well as to the sensitivity of Christians that constitute over 50% of the Nigerian population, led Nigeria to join the Saudi Arabia initiated Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition (IMCTC).
Since then, there have been other disturbing actions of the President internally, that borders on adoption of Islam as state religion in a Secular State. These include the promotion of Sharia Compliant Finance, using State resources, violation of Federal Character Principle in the Constitution by appointing mostly Muslims to head Security Units in the nation, and the inability of the Government to arrest and prosecute rampaging Islamic militias, amongst others.
Recently, Mr. President once again dragged Nigeria to interfere in the Israeli/Palestinian conflict by voting against the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel at the United Nations. The non-aligned status of Nigeria demanded that Nigeria should have abstained from voting, either for or against, when the issue came up at the UN.
We wish to place on record, once again, the dangerous and un-statesmanship religious discrimination and partiality that have characterized the President Buhari-led administration. Nigeria is a Secular State and the issue of religion is supposed to be an individual conviction. While the choice of a nation’s capital is a political decision, the objection of the Palestinians to Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, in this case, has a lot of religious undertones.
Nigeria should have been more circumspect before it dabbles into an issue that has been entangled over the years so that it would not compromise its non-aligned status. Mr. President, Nigeria has a lot of security challenges internally that demand immediate attention and leave no room for the nation to meddle in issues that demand our neutrality.
The Christian Association of Nigeria is placing on record that the negative vote of Nigeria over Jerusalem is not the consensus of the citizens of this country and therefore, it should not be regarded as representing the choice of Nigeria. It is a sectional and unilateral imposition of the President Buhari Administration.
 Again and again, Muslim leaders from the northern part of the country have demonstrated inability to respect the secularity of the Nigerian State and leave religion as an individual conviction according to Section 38 (1) of the Nigerian Constitution.
We demand of the President holistic response to curb the horrendous menace of the Fulani herdsmen and Boko Haram, who to all intent and purpose have launched Jihad in Nigeria. These are the issues our President should focus on rather than seek to compromise our non-aligned status that serves our national interest very well.
Thank you and God bless Nigeria.
Rev. Musa Asake, PhD.

CAN National General Secretary

BE NUMBERED AMONG THE UNDEVOURABLE - Joseph Prince

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

1 Peter 5:8
- JANUARY 16 -
BE NUMBERED AMONG THE UNDEVOURABLE
The devil cannot just walk right up to you and rob you of your health, peace or family. He cannot just come into your life to enforce disease and destruction.

If the devil can do that, then he does not have to walk about “seeking whom he may devour”. He only has to walk straight up to anyone he wants to devour and devour him! But since the Bible says that he goes about seeking whom he may devour, the truth then is that there are people whom he cannot devour.

You see, the devil goes about like a roaring lion trying to stir up fear in people with his roars. But the people who are not devourable are those who refuse to be intimidated by his roars because they know that the true Lion of Judah, Jesus Christ (Revelation 5:5), has already come and rendered powerless him who had the power of death. (Hebrews 2:14, NASB) They know that the devil cannot just do anything to them because the Lion of Judah resides in them, and that He is greater than the devil who is in the world. (1 John 4:4)

My friend, the Lion of Judah is in you. He has given you rights, privileges, authority and power. He redeemed you with His blood. Therefore, everything about you and your life is redeemed by His blood. So if you are fearful about losing your job, cover your job with the blood of Jesus. If you are worried about your children’s safety in these days of terrorist attacks, plead the blood of Jesus over them. If you have received a bad report from the doctor, speak the blood over yourself.

Whatever you have covered with the blood of Jesus, God declares, “Protected! Redeemed!” And the devil flees when he sees the blood. And when he flees, he takes with him sicknesses, diseases, pains, sufferings, destruction and loss.

Once the devil knows that you know who you are in Christ and what you have in Him, his days of intimidating you are over, and you are numbered among the undevourable!

 Joseph Prince Ministries

WE SUPPORT TRUMP ON JERUSALEM - Nigerian Christians

TRUMP’S DECLARATION ON JERUSALEM AS THE CAPITAL OF ISREAL IS IN ORDER
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) is compelled once again, to draw the attention of the Buhari Administration to the non-aligned status of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in international conflicts. We have had cause to express great apprehension when in December 2015, President Buhari, without giving consideration to Section 10 of the Constitution, as well as to the sensitivity of Christians that constitute over 50% of the Nigerian population, led Nigeria to join the Saudi Arabia initiated Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition (IMCTC).
Since then, there have been other disturbing actions of the President internally, that borders on adoption of Islam as state religion in a Secular State. These include the promotion of Sharia Compliant Finance, using State resources, violation of Federal Character Principle in the Constitution by appointing mostly Muslims to head Security Units in the nation, and the inability of the Government to arrest and prosecute rampaging Islamic militias, amongst others.
Recently, Mr. President once again dragged Nigeria to interfere in the Israeli/Palestinian conflict by voting against the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel at the United Nations. The non-aligned status of Nigeria demanded that Nigeria should have abstained from voting, either for or against, when the issue came up at the UN.
We wish to place on record, once again, the dangerous and un-statesmanship religious discrimination and partiality that have characterized the President Buhari-led administration. Nigeria is a Secular State and the issue of religion is supposed to be an individual conviction. While the choice of a nation’s capital is a political decision, the objection of the Palestinians to Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, in this case, has a lot of religious undertones.
Nigeria should have been more circumspect before it dabbles into an issue that has been entangled over the years so that it would not compromise its non-aligned status. Mr. President, Nigeria has a lot of security challenges internally that demand immediate attention and leave no room for the nation to meddle in issues that demand our neutrality.
The Christian Association of Nigeria is placing on record that the negative vote of Nigeria over Jerusalem is not the consensus of the citizens of this country and therefore, it should not be regarded as representing the choice of Nigeria. It is a sectional and unilateral imposition of the President Buhari Administration.
 Again and again, Muslim leaders from the northern part of the country have demonstrated inability to respect the secularity of the Nigerian State and leave religion as an individual conviction according to Section 38 (1) of the Nigerian Constitution.
We demand of the President holistic response to curb the horrendous menace of the Fulani herdsmen and Boko Haram, who to all intent and purpose have launched Jihad in Nigeria. These are the issues our President should focus on rather than seek to compromise our non-aligned status that serves our national interest very well.
Thank you and God bless Nigeria.
Rev. Musa Asake, PhD.

CAN National General Secretary

Buhari Has Failed Nigerians - CAN

ADDRESS OF THE GENERAL SECRETARY OF THE CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA, (CAN) REV. DR. MUSA ASAKE HELD AT THE NATIONAL CHRISTIAN CENTRE, ABUJA ON TUESDAY, 16THJANUARY, 2018

Gentlemen of the Press,
On behalf of the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria and the entire Christian Community here in Nigeria, I welcome you to this press conference in the precious and wonderful name of Our Redeemer and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen. Since this is our first meeting this year, permit me to say HAPPY NEW YEAR to you and wishing you a productive and prosperous 2018.

We have invited you here to express our grave concern for the insecurity challenges that have continued to face us as a nation and Christians in particular in our dear country, Nigeria. We make bold to say that Nigeria’s security system has become dysfunctional and that this fact has been exposed by the inability of the various security arms to wrestle to the ground those threatening the existence of Christians and other innocent citizens in Nigeria,

 As it is, they have not been able to come up with an efficient and enduring system that can overwhelm the resurgence of Boko Haram, Gunmen and Fulani Herdsmen who are prowling villages, shooting and killing innocent Christians. Instead the IG whenever there is killings going on his men on ground in that particular area will be looking the other way and if asked they will say they are waiting for order from above. The IG will always take side and make statements that are provocative to the people of the affected area. For example, when it happened in Southern Kaduna he said it was a communal clash and refuted the number of people killed. Recently he repeated the same statement in the Benue killings. That is an insult to the Christian community from a leader who is supposed to protect our lives and property. What a shame!
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has reviewed the catalogue of horrendous and inhuman attacks on several states and mostly Benue State from 2013 – 2018. The impression has now been firmly established that the Islamists of northern Nigerian have “legalized jihad” in Nigeria.
As if the attacks on Benue, Taraba, Kaduna, Plateau, Yobe, Borno, Nasarawa, Enugu, Imo, Abia, Rivers, Ogun and Oyo States are not enough, the Islamists and their agents have extended their trail of blood and destruction to Bwari in Abuja and Ilorin in Kwara State. On Christmas Day, 2017, Christian community in Bwari, Abuja was attacked; several lives were lost while business locations were burnt down.  On New Year’s Day in 2018, Christians observing “watch-night” service in Ilorin were attacked and three Churches burnt. As usual, the Security Agents did not intervene until the attackers had finished their horrendous assignment.
This pattern suggests collusion of the Security Units with the Islamists militia operating under such names as Fulani herdsmen, Boko Haram, “unknown gunmen”, and “group of vandals”. On 17th January, 2017, the Nigerian Air Force “accidentally”, in broad daylight, bombed a Christian IDP Camp and killed over 200 Christian refugees in Rann, Kala-Balge Local Government in Borno State. In December 2017, an Air Force spokes person confirmed that the Nigerian Air Force sent an Alpha Jet and an EC 135 attack Helicopter to fire “warning” shots at Islamist militia attacking Christians in Numan, Adamawa state, but not to kill them! The villagers were later to report that the Jet actually bombed the Christian villages resulting in the death of over 50 people, while, the Nigerian Air Force said it merely fired warning shots at the Islamist militia attacking the villagers. This is jihad as we cannot understand fired warning shots in the narrative of this attack.
It is clear to the discerning that President Buhari is not running Nigeria according to the dictates of the Democratic values in the Constitution and has no respect for Human Rights, Rule of Law and Democracy. It is unfortunate that a President that w It is unfortunate that a President that was sworn into office to uphold and defend the Constitution has flagrantly violated the Constitution and adopted Sharia ideology as operational standard.
Having reviewed the situation in the country, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) wishes to note that some principal entities appear responsible for the current distress in the nation.
President Muhammadu Buhari
President Buhari was elected on a wave of unprecedented public approval in 2015. Unfortunately, within a few weeks of his election, he started creating the impression that he was in power to serve the interests of his Fulani ethnic group only. Discerning people were quick to note that contrary to his electoral promises, he actually meant to pursue core Islamist agenda. Almost every vital appointment in Security and Education went to Muslims from the North. He did not hide his disdain for the indigenous ethnic nationalities and, at every opportunity, showed preferential treatment to the Muslim North.
Under President Buhari, the murderous Fulani herdsmen enjoyed unprecedented protection and favoritism to the extent that the herdsmen treat Nigeria as a conquered territory. Rather than arrest and prosecute the Fulani herdsmen, security forces usually manned by Muslims from the North offer them protection as they unleash terror with impunity on the Nigerian people.
The bottom line is that President Buhari failed woefully to protect Nigerians. He wilfully permitted the Fulani herdsmen to operate killing people, destroying communities wholesale, destroying farmlands and turning the entire Middle Belt into “killing fields”, all the while enjoying government protection from counter attack, arrest or prosecution.
By failing to curb the attacks of the Fulani herdsmen President Buhari has failed to uphold Section 14, Para. 2 (b) in the Constitution that “the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government:”
Through his partial, sectional and discriminatory appointments, particularly in Security and Education, President Buhari violated Section 14, Para. 3 “The composition of the Government of the Federation or any of its agencies and the conduct of its affairs shall be carried out in such a manner as to reflect the federal character of Nigeria and the need to promote national unity, and also to command national loyalty, thereby ensuring that there shall be no predominance of persons from a few State or from a few ethnic or other sectional groups in that Government or in any of its agencies.”


MIYETTI ALLAH CATTLE BREEDERS ASSOCIATION
The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association is supposed to be a business group much like many other businesses and professional groups in the country. However, the MACBAN differs from any other business group in that it combines bloodshed with enterprise.
The Fulani herdsmen are clearly associated with MACBAN and the officials of MACBAN are noted to make very inciting statements before and after the Fulani herdsmen attack vulnerable communities.
 In the recent attacks on Benue State, the President of Benue Branch of Miyetti Allah, Garus Gololo said they attacked the communities because 1,000 of their cows were stolen. Even if it was true that cows were stolen, who constituted Miyetti Allah into law enforcement agency, judge and jury to commit wholesale murder?
In another account, Miyetti Allah called a Press Conference in which it stated it would not abide with the anti-open grazing law of Benue State Government. The Chief Press Secretary to the Benue State Government, Terve Akase believes that the attacks on Benue State on 1st and 2nd January, 2018 were in reaction to the grazing law enacted by the Benue State Government.
Miyetti Allah has openly rejected anti-open grazing bills in Taraba, Plateau and Benue States. In May 2017, the National President of Miyetti Allah, Alhaji Bello Abdullahi Bodejo and the National Secretary Engineer Saleh Alhassan
 Alhassan openly declared at a Press Conference that the introduction of anti-open grazing bill in some states is a recipe for anarchy. Are we now to conclude that a business group has supremacy over State Governments?

RESOLUTIONS
1.                        In view of the foregoing, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) calls on all lovers of freedom and democracy in Nigeria to rise against the tyranny of the Islamists, who manipulate the religion of Islam for political and cultural domination.  There is difference between Islam and Islamism. While Islam is a religion, Islamism is not a religion but a political ideology. Islamism in Nigeria is based on the Doctrine of Hate and supremacist ideology that the Fulani is superior to the other ethnic nationalities in Nigeria. This is what is at the root of the bloodshed and insecurity all over Nigeria. The clannish mentality of the Fulani places every other ethnic nationality in Nigeria as colonial subject or dhimmi (second class citizen), irrespective of religion or culture.

2.                        Most of the problems in the polity especially the ongoing genocide against Christians in the Northcentral are having religious and tribal undertone hence why the Islamic leaders are keeping mum to the massacre of our members in Benue, Taraba, Kaduna, and Enugu states. It is part of the grand agenda to take over our land, with this I have good news for you. “It will not work”
3.                      
Instead of bringing the leadership of Myetti Allah... to book for being the masterminds of the genocide, top functionaries of the Buhari government are now advocating grazing colonies with a view of granting these criminals free land and government supports.
4.                      
While the government has taken the battle to Boko Haram terrorists, the Indigenous People of Biafra, the Badoo boys, the Niger Delta Avengers and other groups, the government has not shown any serious willingness to checkmate the murderous Fulani Herdsmen. This to us is a betrayal of the confidence reposed in this government by Nigerians when they voted them into power.

5.                        We need to know why the intelligence units of all security apparatus that we have in this country has not been able to discover the sources of supply of ammunition to Fulani herdsmen living virtually in the bush.

To restore permanent peace to all the trouble spots in the country, we demand the following;

1. The Myetti Allah organisation should be tagged a terrorist organisation. Its leaders should be arrested and prosecuted for the genocide against the Christian minorities in the Middlebelt.

2. President Muhammadu Buhari should overhaul the National Security Council with a view to sharing its membership equally between Christians and Muslims and possibly those who do not belong to either. No religion has a monopoly of competency, commitment and patriotism.

3. We call for immediate replacement of the Inspector General of Police because our security can no longer be guaranteed. We also demand immediate redeployment of all the Commissioners of Police.
Every Nigerian should condemn in strong terms and resist the attempt by this pro-Fulani government that “cattle colonies” shall be established all over the country. This is an insult on all Nigerians. The idea of “cattle colony” presupposes that the Fulanis are colonial masters. How and when one ethnic group transmuted into a “colonial master” over all the other 388 ethnic nationalities in Nigeria is unknown. Besides, after Nigerians roundly rejected “grazing reserves” who are the Islamists trying to deceive with change of nomenclature?

TRUMP’S DECLARATION ON JERUSALEM AS THE CAPITAL OF ISREAL IS IN ORDER
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) is compelled once again, to draw the attention of the Buhari Administration to the non-aligned status of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in international conflicts. We have had cause to express great apprehension when in December 2015, President Buhari, without giving consideration to Section 10 of the Constitution, as well as to the sensitivity of Christians that constitute over 50% of the Nigerian population, led Nigeria to join the Saudi Arabia initiated Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition (IMCTC).
Since then, there have been other disturbing actions of the President internally, that borders on adoption of Islam as state religion in a Secular State. These include the promotion of Sharia Compliant Finance, using State resources, violation of Federal Character Principle in the Constitution by appointing mostly Muslims to head Security Units in the nation, and the inability of the Government to arrest and prosecute rampaging Islamic militias, amongst others.
Recently, Mr. President once again dragged Nigeria to interfere in the Israeli/Palestinian conflict by voting against the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel at the United Nations. The non-aligned status of Nigeria demanded that Nigeria should have abstained from voting, either for or against, when the issue came up at the UN.
We wish to place on record, once again, the dangerous and un-statesmanship religious discrimination and partiality that have characterized the President Buhari-led administration. Nigeria is a Secular State and the issue of religion is supposed to be an individual conviction. While the choice of a nation’s capital is a political decision, the objection of the Palestinians to Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, in this case, has a lot of religious undertones.
Nigeria should have been more circumspect before it dabbles into an issue that has been entangled over the years so that it would not compromise its non-aligned status. Mr. President, Nigeria has a lot of security challenges internally that demand immediate attention and leave no room for the nation to meddle in issues that demand our neutrality.
The Christian Association of Nigeria is placing on record that the negative vote of Nigeria over Jerusalem is not the consensus of the citizens of this country and therefore, it should not be regarded as representing the choice of Nigeria. It is a sectional and unilateral imposition of the President Buhari Administration.
 Again and again, Muslim leaders from the northern part of the country have demonstrated inability to respect the secularity of the Nigerian State and leave religion as an individual conviction according to Section 38 (1) of the Nigerian Constitution.
We demand of the President holistic response to curb the horrendous menace of the Fulani herdsmen and Boko Haram, who to all intent and purpose have launched Jihad in Nigeria. These are the issues our President should focus on rather than seek to compromise our non-aligned status that serves our national interest very well.
Thank you and God bless Nigeria.
Rev. Musa Asake, PhD.

CAN National General Secretary