The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has challenged President Muhammadu Buhari to make public, the report of his virtual meeting with the nation's former heads of state following the attack on peaceful protesters at Lekki Toll Gate, last Tuesday night by the Nigerian Military.
The Christian body who made the statement in response to the President's aide, Femi Adesina’s statement claiming religious houses influenced members to embark on #EndSARS protests which degenerated into chaos and arson.
Adesina has in an article entitled ‘If Nigeria dies, hatred kiIIed her,’ accused religious houses of playing a role in the current state of chaos in the nation.
However, CAN through Pastor Bayo Oladeji, who spoke on behalf of CAN President Rev Supo Ayokunle, said the present government has never taken responsibility for perceived maladministration but always shifts blame to a third party.
Oladeji said, “It is difficult to know if Femi Adesina was speaking his mind or the mind of his principal. The problem of some government’s functionaries begins with their myopic thought that they love the country more than the people. This is very wrong and unfortunate.
“Right from the outset of this government to date, its functionaries and spokespersons are notorious for blame game. They have never owned up like Adam and Eve who threw themselves out of the Garden of Eden as a result of blame game.
“Was it the church that gave an order to the military and the police to move to the streets against the protesters in the pretext of preventing it from being hijacked? Did the Federal Government seek counsel from the church on the steps taken? Was it the church that hired exotic cars, buses and lorries to transport the thugs that attacked unarmed protesters?
“The position of CAN has been the position of the United Nations, global citizens and some eminent citizens who have spoken. We learnt there was a virtual meeting organised by the Presidency with the former Presidents and Heads of State, we challenge the Presidency to publish the verbatim report of the virtual meeting to see if those former leaders commended the government for allowing the unprecedented peaceful protest to degenerate into bloodletting.”