The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has disowned one John Hayab, who is said to be kicking against a proposed bill for the establishment of Christian Courts that is now before the House of Representative.

In a statement issued in Abuja on Friday by CAN in the 19 Northern states and Abuja, signed by Danladi Yerima, Secretary of the association, CAN described Hayab, who claimed to be speaking for the association in the 19 Northern states and Abuja as its Public Relations Officer (PRO) as ‘anti-Christ’.

The statement said: “Ordinarily, we would have ignored him but for the fact that the public who do not know his antecedents may be deceived by his lies. However, we wish to make it clear that he is on his own.

“John Hayab is not speaking for Northern CAN, he is speaking for himself and not Northern CAN because to the best of our knowledge, Northern CAN has never sat down to discuss this issue, talk less of even allowing him to go and express an opinion on its behalf.

“If anything, we would have taken the direct opposite of it. Why should he be speaking on behalf of the Christian church without getting clearance from the Church, to ask the Secretariat and even the Chairman of CAN in the 19 Northern states and FCT and President of CAN, the opinion of Christians in this country?

“Even, I as the Secretary of Northern CAN can’t speak, without making consultations. So, as far as we are concerned, the opinion expressed (by John Hayab) is for himself and for himself alone. The members and leadership of Northern CAN are disassociating themselves from that statement. The Nigerian public and the Church should take note of the fact that we, as a body, have never sat, discussed and agreed for such an information to be issued out to the public. So, we shall speak and when we speak on this very issue, the whole world will know the stand of the church.

“We know that he is looking for food and if in the course of that he gets a sponsor, we won’t be surprised. But definitely, John Hayab cannot be speaking for us. He is speaking for himself and for his own benefits. Definitely, he is a mole; it’s not far from the truth. He is working for his personal interest and those who are sponsoring him.

“Those who know his antecedents won’t be surprised by the latest betrayal by him against the Church of Christ. Hayab has been anti-Northern Christians and we know that. He was the person who has been campaigning and saying that Northern CAN was an illegal organisation. But during the election, he mobilised some people who, ordinarily, wouldn’t have participated in that election and got himself elected. And that is the result of what we are now witnessing. The mobilisation came from outside, he was not within the fold and it is very unfortunate.

“Expelling him is left for Northern CAN and that is a subject that would be seriously looked into because we have discovered that Hayab is not representing us.”

•Photo shows CAN President Supo Ayokunle.

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