The Christian Association of Nigeria has responded to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo’s explanation of the federal government’s adoption of Sukuk bonds.
Speaking during a pastors’ conference in Lagos on Friday, Mr. Osinbajo said CAN was wrong in its conclusion that the federal government’s adoption of the Sukuk bond was a ploy to Islamise Nigeria.
Mr. Osinbajo criticised CAN for what he described as the association’s constant alarm about Islamisation, which he said was comparable to a fruitless search for invisible demons.
“Part of the problem is the failure of Christian leadership to take its rightful place. We focus our minds on something we call the Islamic agenda. We look for it everywhere as if we are looking for demons,” he said.
“The Sukuk is an Islamic concept, which enables people to have access to credit. It is essentially like a bond. The US, UK, China, South Africa have all used the Sukuk. Once there is money in the market, let us not get sentimental. The most important thing is for us to use those monies well,” Mr. Osinbajo was quoted by the Punch as saying. But CAN urged the vice president to stop discrediting the association. A statement signed by CAN’s head of media and communications, Adebayo Oladeji, quoted the CAN president, Samson Ayokunle, as saying that Mr. Osinbajo was oblivious of what CAN called illegal actions of successive governments in a bid to actualise the Islamic agenda.
“The Organisation of Islamic Countries met in London in 1983 with a follow up meeting in Nigeria in 1989 and had issued a communiqué to Islamize Africa with Nigeria capturing a great attention.
This is a public knowledge while facts could be obtained from Wikipedia with links on OIC’s Conference in London, 1983 and Abuja Declaration of 1989,” CAN said.
“It is also a matter of fact that Nigeria was later made an observer member of the body (OIC) through General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida. Under General Sani Abacha, another Muslim leader, Nigeria was made full member in total violation of the constitution that the nation is secular and our government should not be religiously partisan.
“From then on, conscious efforts were on to draw Nigeria into joining different Islamic organizations in keeping with the resolutions of OIC & Islam in Africa Organization (IAO),” the statement said.
The statement said CAN was not opposed to peaceful efforts aimed at preaching the Islamic gospel, but said it would not accept the adoption of Islamic resolutions aimed at compelling the country towards Islam.
“We are not opposed to Islamic evangelism by any Muslim group if done with a peaceful motive. The Christians also exercise their constitutional rights to do so through revivals and gospel rallies. But we are opposed to the government of Nigeria adopting Islamic resolutions aimed towards a compelling of this country, contrary to the dictates of the constitution,” it said.
