IN unison, Christian leaders all over the country, at the weekend, in Lagos State, faulted the direct financial and administrative participation of the Federal Government in private cattle business under any guise, insisting that regardless of name change, the policy has a hidden agenda to it.

Led by the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), speaker after speaker denounced the controversial Ruga policy, its offspring — National Livestock Transformation Plan as well as the Waterways Bill before the National Assembly, suspected to be a move at legitimising an alleged hidden government agenda to give an advantage to those in private cattle business.

But the Vice- President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, however, tried to calm frayed nerves at the event tagged “2019 CAN/Church Leaders’ Stakeholders Summit, with the theme, Ruga: The Church Response in the 21ST Century,” as he assured the gathering that the Ruga policy had become history and replaced with the Livestock Transformation policy.

Osinbajo was represented by the Aso Rock Chapel Chaplain, Pastor Seyi Malomo.

But the Christian leaders would not be pacified and despite another round of meeting with Malomo after the speakers were done with the speeches, mostly extempore, they insisted that their opposition to government funding of what should be a private business would be communicated to the Muhammadu Buhari-led administration whenever it was ready to talk with them.

An attempt by Malomo to bring a presidential aide on agriculture to the podium for further explanation on the livestock policy was rebuffed by the organisers of the event, who told him it would be a needless move since they already have a position to communicate to the Federal Government.

Malomo was asked to tell his principal that the body would be waiting to hear from the government.

Director, National Issues and Social Welfare, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Right Reverend Stephen Adegbite, who moderated the summit told Sunday Tribune that ““This issue of killing is alarming as we call on our people [Christians] to learn basic defensive skills to protect themselves from the killers.

On the killings of Christians in Nigeria, the cleric said that over 200 clerics had so far been killed in all parts of Nigeria with thousands of Christians killed this year alone and many churches destroyed.

According to him, “That is why we called for the leaders’ stakeholder summit to enlighten our people that enough is enough. How long we will sit and see Christians killed, churches destroyed and anointed men of God killed and kidnapped.

“Christians are no longer going to church because of fear of attacks. The blood of the martyrs is the seed of Christianity. We will resist Ruga and all efforts to Islamise Nigeria because the gate of hell cannot stop the spread of Christianity in Nigeria,” he said.

State chairmen of CAN took turns to tell stories of alleged persecution being faced in the hands of suspected state-sponsored opponents, including Fulani herdsmen/kidnappers, Boko Haram terrorists and unfavourable government policies.

The prevalent mood was captured by the president of CAN, Reverend Supo Ayokunle, who disclosed that the church in Nigeria had paid ransom in millions of dollars to kidnappers to secure the freedom of kidnapped Christians.

The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, in his goodwill message, harped on unity among Christians, clamouring deference to CAN.

While admonishing discipline in the Body of Christ, he said, “The crisis that Nigeria is facing now is between the wise and the foolish. The wise will always rule over the foolish.”

Malomo, however, asked the Christian leaders to pray for God’s intervention over the insecurity in the country.

He stated that the call was necessary because the building of a nation is in the hands of God.

“The Christian leaders in the country should call upon God for supernatural intervention in the insecurity crisis of the nation.

“We should be reminded that the building of a nation is in the hands of God and that is why this is imperative.

“The power in the controlling of the nation is still in the church”.

Ayokunle, however, urged the government to take clear steps to end the insecurity.

He stated that the introduction of Ruga bred fears instead of allaying the fears of Nigerians, especially Christians.

“What Nigerians, therefore, expected from the government were clear action steps to end this impunity.

“Therefore, the sudden introduction or intrusion of Ruga in the midst of the dire security experience of many Nigerians became counterproductive and generated fears rather than allaying the concerns of Nigerians, particularly Christians.

“Many Christians have been killed and are still being killed by Fulani herdsmen. Many have been kidnapped and are still being kidnapped. Many innocent women, especially Christians, have been raped in their farmlands. Several others are presently sex slaves in kidnappers’ den.

“The church has spent millions of dollars in ransom payments to secure their loved ones who have been victims.”

Explaining the rationale behind the dialogue, Ayokunle said the association represents the Church, adding that it could not fold its arms, playing ostrich when “the church is hurting very badly in the hands of the Fulani herdsmen.”

He added that the association’s involvement was positive and needed, stating that it was assuaging fears of Christians.

“CAN represents the church. Should CAN fold its arms and play the ostrich when the church is hurting very badly in the hands of Fulani herdsmen?

“Therefore, CAN’s involvement in the RUGA debate is positive and needed. This intervention is designed to assuage the fears of Christians by telling government the truth of how the society feels and providing government with tangible recommendations without prejudice.

“CAN is the umbrella of all Christians in Nigeria, a united, an indivisible association, recognised and respected as the voice of the churches in the country. Christians don’t believe in deception or acting in pretence” he said.

Ayokunle advised that the government should avoid whatever “smacks of suspicion in the interest of national unity,” while assuring that the association would continue to play its role in ensuring that peace and harmony reign in the land.

The Bishop of Abuja, African Church and Coordinating Chaplain, National Ecumenical Centre, CAN Headquarters, Abuja, Right Reverend (Dr) Peter Ogunmuyiwa, in a telephone interview with Sunday Tribune, said the Federal Government should treat the issue of Ruga as a policy it never dreamt of, adding that the issue was beyond suspending the policy.

He added that Ruga, in whatever guise, had been collectively rejected by the Christian leaders across the country, the same way as the Waterways Bill, tagging them as an agenda to take over land and vegetation owned by communities.

“It is not about the suspension of Ruga, government should treat it as if it never dreamt of it. CAN and Christian leaders have made our opposition to it known. Why is government doing everything to be involved in what should be a private business?

“That is why we are also saying no to the Waterways Bill before the National Assembly because it is a ploy to take what belongs to community people and give it to those who are supposedly doing a private business.

“We are always ready to make our objection known to government,” he said. (Sunday Tribune)

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