Blame Boko Haram Insurgency On Northern Religious Institutions — CAN

The Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Ughelli North Local Government area chapter, Delta State, has told the Sultan of Sokoto not to blame the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan for the Boko Haram insurgency rather on religious institutions in the North.

CAN President, Ayo Oritsejafor
The Sultan was reported to have said that Boko Haram was an offshoot of the injustice meted on the North by the President Jonathan administration.

The chapter, in a statement by its Chairman, Rt. Rev Diamond Emuobor,  at the end of its quarterly meeting, said: “The debacle of Boko Haram insurgency is wrapped in a Jihadist designation, but deceitfully tagged as a political misrule agitation.

“The Sultan of Sokoto’s address at the national prayer event recently said that Boko Haram is an offshoot of the injustice meted on the North by Goodluck Jonathan’s six years administration.

“When at independence, the North had nine secondary schools compared to the 109 in the South, was the Jonathan administration to blame?  What can six years administration do in a nation, compared to the 38 years of Northern element’s seizure of the Nigerian state? Blame the religious institutions of the North, and not the Nigeria state as more northerners have held leadership position in the country than any other region. Could the Almajiris, who are the offshoot of lslamic religion be said to have emanated from the six years administration of Goodluck Jonathan?”

It will be recalled that earlier this month the CAN through the Secretary General of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Musa Ayake refuted assertions by the Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) claiming that the dreaded Boko Haram sect is Unislamic.

Musa Ayake said: “If they said they are not Muslims, they should meet with Boko Haram because the sect had told the whole world that they are Muslims that they want to upturn Nigeria constitution and put in place sharia Superintendent of Police (SP)” he said. “These are Muslims; it is not only in Nigeria, look at other Islamic countries, there are killings also. If they are rejecting Boko Haram. It is not on paper, while the people are doing the havoc. They should tell us the steps and actions they have taken to show that Boko Haram are anti-Islam.”

“They proclaim Islam; it is for them (OIC) to go and sort themselves out. These are people who have been taught and radicalised by Islamic clerics. In fact, we are suspecting the OIC” he said. “Boko Haram proclaims Islam, Koran who want to enthrone Sharia in Nigeria. So who is fooling who? They are Muslims as far as we are concerned”.  
Meanwhile the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and Islamic institutuons on Tuesday called for superior ideology put an end to Boko Haram atrocities in the country.

The CAN President, Ayo Oritsejafor said: "Boko Haram is an ideology; the military is very vital and must play its part. But it will not solve it completely just by bullets. You will have to create an avenue for a superior argument in the area of ideologies. You must bring up another ideology that is higher and better that will contradict the ideology that has created this monster. It is a fact that Boko Haram is not as a result of poverty but as a result of an ideology" Oritsejafor said.