The Christian Association of Nigeria has demanded the sacking of the Managing Director of Sterling Bank, Abubakar Suleiman, over a controversial Easter advert.
CAN made the demand on Wednesday in a statement signed by the National Secretary, Joseph Daramola, declaring that the advert was “wicked and insensisitve” towards Christians.
The statement was titled, ‘CAN Condemns Provocative, Insensitive Advertisement of Sterling Bank’.
The bank drew the ire of Christian faithful in Nigeria following its publication of an Easter message, which compared the Resurrection of Jesus Christ to Agege bread.
Sterling Bank over the Easter weekend posted a puffed, golden-brown, halved Agege Bread with the caption, ‘Like Agege Bread, He Rose… Happy Easter’.
“The attention of the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria has been drawn to an ungodly, wicked, insensitive and deliberately provocative advertisement of Sterling Bank, comparing the Resurrection of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ to ‘Agege bread’ amidst the Easter celebration,” CAN said in the statement.
“In case the management of Sterling Bank is not aware, the Resurrection of Jesus witnesses to the immense power of God Himself. To believe in the Resurrection is to believe in God. If God exists, and if He created the universe and has power over it, then He has the power to raise the dead. If He does not have such power, He is not worthy of our faith and worship.
“Only He who created life can resurrect it after death; only He can reverse the mystery that is death itself, and only He can remove the sting and gain the victory over the grave (1 Corinthians 15:54–55). In resurrecting Jesus from the grave, God reminds us of His absolute sovereignty over life and death.”
Earlier, the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria, which regulates advertising in the country, had in a statement signed by its Registrar and Chief Executive, Olalekan Fadolapo, said it would punish Sterling Bank for posting what it described as an offensive and provocative advert.
CAN advised Christians to be wary of the banks they patronise, insisting that Suleiman and the Management of the bank showed “hostility and hatred” for the Christian faith.
“The purported apology did not come from a penitent heart. How can someone in his right mind described the risen Christ as a loaf of bread. That is insulting, ridiculous and a mockery of Jesus Christ. We advise Christians to be wary of the banks and other financial institutions they are patronising.
“We learnt that the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria has reportedly intervened in the matter with a view to impose some sanctions against Sterling Bank. The Christian Association of Nigeria is waiting for the decision of the organisation.
“However, in the interim, we call for the immediate removal of the Chief Executive of Sterling Bank; Mr. Abubakar Suleiman with his Management whose actions have clearly shown their hostility and hatred for the Christian faith,” the stated further read.
However, the Christian body has called on its members not take the law into their hands.
“We call on all Christians not to take the law into their hands in seeking redress, but to let the relevant authorities handle the matter.”
Following the barrage of criticism, Sterling subsequently uploaded another copy of an opened tomb significant of Christ’s departure from the grave and added the caption, ‘…let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone,’ an attempt that produced little result.
