Stop Playing Politics With Security Challenges, CAN Tells FG

 

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has asked the federal government to stop playing politics with the security challenges facing the country, instead, it should wake up from its slumber and fix the problem.

The umbrella body of Christians in the country said the recent unpleasant comments attributed to some top government officials regarding the issue of insecurity in the land seemed to portray them as not being responsive to the worrisome situation.

While reacting to a statement credited to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo that reports of kidnappings in the country were being exaggerated, the Special Assistant to the CAN president on Media and Communication, Pastor Adebayo Oladeji, said there was no doubt that  most parts of the country have been under "the siege of terrorism, herdsmen killings, banditry and kidnappings but the government of the day continues to play the ostrich and blame game instead."

In his reaction on Tuesday, Pastor Oladeji said: "We are always in a dilemma to react to some unpleasant remarks being made by some top government functionaries in recent times because few days later, they will recant and turn around to blame the media for quoting them out of context. Here we are when the country has been under the siege of terrorism, herdsmen killings, banditry, and kidnappings but the government of day continuing playing the ostrich and blame game instead of being responsible for the unprecedented criminal activities in the country," he said.

The CAN President said that the vice president may be echoing statement of the Inspector General of Police who reportedly claimed the insecurity challenges have been reduced.

In addition,, CAN said that the Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Buratai was also reported to have accused unnamed politicians as being responsible for the criminal activities in the country.

"How could the Vice President, in far away country, playing politics with the menace of kidnapping which some of the key members of the government like the immediate past Minister of Health was a victim?

"The popular Abuja-Kaduna highways and some  major roads in the country are under the siege of kidnappers while states like Kaduna, Kogi, Ondo, Osun, Oyo and a few others are under unprecedented operations of these wicked beings yet the government is claiming that nothing of such is happening under its watch.

"It is high time our political leaders stopped playing upon our collective intelligence as a nation. What the Vice President reportedly said in the US, about the menace of kidnapping, If it is true, is adding salt into the wounds of the victims of kidnappers.

"What our government failed to know is countries like the US know better than what they are telling them.

"The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) calls on the Federal Government to stop playing politics with the security challenges but instead to wake up from its slumber and fix the problem.

"We ask them to go back to their promises in 2014/2015 and fulfill everyone of them because history will not spare any government that fails to protect the lives and property under its watch. We also call on the Office of the National Security Adviser of the country to organise a Conference on the security challenges where all stakeholders will proffer solutions to every security problem in the country before too late.

Spokesman for the CAN president said President Muhammadu Buhari should seek for the best hands in his second term to help address the security crisis as well as other problems bedeviling the country.

"As the body of Christ, we will not cease speaking truth to power no matter what until the truth prevail. Nigerians deserved the best from the government and this is why we are calling on the Presidency to look for the best hands in its second term who can get us out of this mess.

"But if religion, tribalism and religious sentiments are still the yardstick for the selection of those who form the next government, it means the struggle continues.

"Let there be a national government where everyone will come on board to collectively liberate the country from these economic and Security challenges. It is well with Nigeria," he said.