CAN Crisis Deepens As Catholics Are Accused Of Ignorance

Posted by:  usman on January 24, 2013 in Nigerian News 13 Comments

AYO ORITSEJAFOR, CAN PRESIDENT

The crisis within the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) deepened yesterday as the Public Relations Officer of CAN in the 19 Northern States and Abuja, Mr. Sunny Oibe, accused Catholics of arrogance and blamed the Catholic’s action on the loss of the Presidency of CAN to Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor. Information Nigeria reports that the Administrator of the Catholic Diocese of Abeokuta, Monsignor Christopher Ajala, on Tuesday, alleged that CAN had become an arm of government.In his reaction to the development, Oibe said, “There are some certain elements in the leadership of CAN led by Cardinal John Onaiyekan because he lost CAN Presidency to Oritsejafor who has a lot of achievements.

“There is no need for anybody to lose sleep over the threat by Catholics to pull out of CAN because without them CAN will still continue. The constitution of CAN makes provision that membership can be terminated by any group that is misbehaving or any group can also terminate their membership.

“Why is it that when Catholics were in the leadership of CAN, every bloc supported them, but now because power has changed hands, they are threatening to pull out and causing confusion?

“They have been agitating that the Presidency of CAN must come from the South. They are appendage of PDP and PDP themselves. They are known for double standards. A man of God should not be double speaking.”

Oibe who is also the spokesperson for the President of Tarayar Ekklisiyar Kristi A Nijeriya, a conglomeration of 13 church groups in CAN, added that Catholics should not mislead the public even if they want to pull out.

He said, “The Catholics are claiming that the current CAN leadership has deviated from the vision of the founding fathers when they don’t even know how CAN came about.”