Sequel to the accusation of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) that it is biased in its composition of the Committee on Religion, the secretariat of the ongoing Nigeria National Conference has responded officially, describing CAN’s accusation as misleading and containing no truth at all.
Replying through a statement by Akpandem James, the assistant secretary on media and communications for the confab, the national conference said the committee on religion has 21 members – 11 Muslims and 10 Christians – as against 12 Muslims and six Christians claimed by CAN in its statement signed by its national issues director, Mr. Sunny Oibe.
In the statement released by the confab’s scribe, a list of the committee members was attached highlighting Christian members.
James explained that Chairman of the National Conference, Justice Idris Kutigi, did not force any one on the committee, revealing that many people earlier drafted on the committee intentionally opted out.
“Because all the committees must have the least required number of members, which was put at 24 (average), delegates with related credentials were moved from other loaded committees to Religion, but they protested and opted out”, James said.
He said that as at the last count, the committee on religion still had the least number of members (21), followed by the committee on citizenship, immigration and related matters which has 22.
“In terms of preference, the committee on religion, as sensitive as CAN would want the public to perceive it, was placed 18 out of 20”, the statement read on.
“Efforts were made to complete and balance the Committee on Religion but delegates would not want to serve in the Committee. It would therefore be mischievous for anybody or group to insinuate or accuse the Chairman or the leadership of the Conference of “working out a script to undermine the interest of Christians in the dialogue body”.
The statement further revealed that the chairmanship of committees was shared equally between the North and the South; and those that were seen as contentious committees were co-chaired by a delegate from the North and South.
“The two co-chairmen of the committee on religion could not have come from the North as CAN would have wished; and it would amount to peddling ignorance to think that a Christian from the South does not know what Christians in the North are facing, as Christendom is one body”, James added.
“It is unfortunate that a body like CAN, if it indeed authorised the statement, would make such frivolous and unfounded allegation against the Chairman of the Conference, Justice Idris Kutigi, to the effect that he picked Alhaji Nurudeen Lemu as the Co-Chairman of the committee, because they are from the same state”.
He disclosed that Kutigi had excused himself from selecting the leadership of any committee and did not recommend Alhaji Lemu.
“During deliberations at the plenary sessions, particularly during the discussion of the President’s speech, Lemu received accolades for his insightful contributions. His intellectual insight and moderate views on religion naturally recommended him for selection unanimously, and had nothing to do with the preference of any principal officer of the Conference”, James said.
“Although Oibe indicated that CAN does not have a problem with Bishop Ajakaiye as Chairman, but it would have preferred a Christian from the North; the issue may well be that Bishop Ajakaye is a Catholic Bishop and thus may have issues with CAN. Not being active in CAN does not make Bishop Ajakaye a lesser Christian”.
James berated CAN saying it does not speak well of a religious body to peddle falsehood in a bid to prove a non-existent point.
He cleared the air about Dr Jonathan Obaje who was said in CAN’s statement to be on holiday, explaining that he applied to the secretariat, and not the chairman, that he would be travelling briefly to Japan to keep an appointment which he had fixed early this year before his nomination to the conference.
“He is one of the Diaspora delegates and lives in Singapore. Dr explained.Obaje would not be the first to do so, and certainly not the last. Permission granted Dr Obaje by the Secretariat has nothing to do with his membership of the committee on religion”, James
