Time to decide if we can remain as one country – CAN

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in 19 Northern States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) yesterday in Kaduna condemned the persistent killings of Christians in the North and asked for a Sovereign National Conference.

In a statement yesterday reacting to last Sunday’s murder of Senator Daylop Dantong representing Plateau North Senatorial District of Plateau State, Hon. Gyang Danfulani, Majority leader in the Plateau State House of Assembly, among estimated 63 people killed in Barkin Ladi Local Government, northern CAN said: “Those people who want to live by the swords and bombs can have their own country and kill themselves. Those who want to live in peace and catch up with development that is going on in some other parts of the world can have their country and make progress”.

Also the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), has condemned the killing, and called for a halt to the violence.

The statement from Northern CAN signed by its Public Relations Officer, Mr Sunday Oibe reads: “We Christians in Northern Nigeria are calling on President Goodluck Jonathan to demonstrate enough political will to bring an end to the activities of terrorist groups in the north.

“The President once declared that there are some Boko Haram members in his government; we can now see the manifestation of this, especially in the activities of the Special Task Force in Plateau State which failed to respond to distress calls during the massacre of rural communities in Barkin-Ladi Local government Area the state.

“This time around, the President should stop at nothing until he brings the activities of terrorists to an end.

“We will not accept a situation where only one tribe in Nigeria is trying to bring the entire country to its knees. This is absolutely unacceptable.

“It is activities of some members of this tribe that is undermining the National Youth Service Scheme (NYSC) which seeks to integrate us as a nation.

“One tribe must not be seen to be lording it over the rest of Nigerians. Nigeria is bigger than any tribe or religion. We must, as a people with conscience, sense of patriotism and sense of justice and fair play resist these mindless, barbaric killings. We call on the National Assembly to forget about their personal interests and convoke a National Conference to determine whether we should continue to live together.

“We urge all peace loving Nigerians who want to live freely and make progress to demand the convocation of a National Sovereign Conference so that we will bring an end to these killings and destruction of property.”

This is the only way we can peacefully bring an end to this madness so that those who want to develope can make progress and those who want to be killing can go on killing themselves when they are in their own country.

“We urged the Christians in Plateau state not to lose hope and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ in the midst of these unprovoked mass killings including the killing of Senator Gyang Dantong and the Majority Leader of the Plateau state House of Assembly, Hon. Gyang Fulani.

“We want to state categorically that we are not accepting the usual condemnation by government which has become a mere slogan. The Government must not just condemn it, it must fish out the perpetrators and sponsors of this wickedness and bring them to justice for the sake of peace and stability.

“We believe that there are some powerful elements who are behind the activities of these so called herds men. We want to ask pertinent questions: Has the government of Nigeria legalised possession of arms by unauthorised individuals? If the answer is ‘no’, how did the Fulani herds men in the north come to be in  possession of sophisticated weapons,  including military uniforms and bullet proof vests?

“Who supplied them these weapons and the uniforms? Where were the Special Military Task Force deployed to Plateau State when this massacre was going on? Why did it take them five hours to get to the scene of the incident?

“Reports reaching us said the Special Task Force was contacted by 4: am. It was about 9:30 am that the task force went there. We understand that it was the mobile police that went to the scene of the incident.  Whose orders is the Special Military Task Force carrying out in Plateau?

“If the Barakin-Ladi Local Government chairman called the Task Force and they promised they were coming, why did the Task Force fail to go until after they terrorists had finished their operation?
“Our stand as Christians in the North is that, we have lost confidence in the ability of the Special Task Force in Plateau to protect the lives and property of Christians in the state. We will not accept any intimidation of Christians by security agencies over this issue.

“If the government wants peace to reign in this country, then it must go beyond the usual condemnation and rhetoric by exposing the sponsors of these so called Fulani herds men that have continued to caused havoc to Christians in Plateau, Benue, Taraba and the Southern part of Kaduna state.

“It is becoming very dangerous for Christians to go about their legitimate businesses in the north as a result of terrorists’ activities.

On its Part, the National Publicity Secretary of the, Mr. Anthony Sani  ACF in a Statement sent to Journalist by e-mail said: “the news of the killing of innocent people in some villages in Barki Ladi of Plateau state, Nigeria, has come to Arewa Consultative Forum with great shock.

“Tremendous shock not only  because the killing included women and children, but also because they have occurred just after the recent reconciliatory meetings between the wary factions, as well as after the recent visit by the new National Security Adviser to Plateau state in continuation of his search for how best to address the security challenges across the country.

“More depressing has been the following killing of Senator Dantong and the Chief Whip of Plateau state House of Assembly as well as the wounding of a member of the House of Reps.

“It is, therefore, with heavy heart that ACF wishes to call on all those who derive pleasure in violent killing of neighbours as their own ways of addressing grievances to stop such drift to the stone age when communal violence was the deed in fashion. In the twenty first century, such approach is certainly primitive and barbaric, especially when regard is paid to the fact that under democracy there are due process of addressing any perceived grievances.

“ACF also calls on the governments and security agencies to prosecute perpetrators of such heinous crimes against humanity as deterrence for future occurrences.

“And finally, the forum commiserates with families of those killed, and prays to God to provide them with the fortitude to bear the irreparable losses .May their souls rest in perfect peace”.