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Our Action Will Speak For Us, Northern CAN Says
By Amina Samuel, Kaduna
The Northern Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), representing the 19 Northern states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has pledged to concentrate on its mandate rather than engage in unnecessary disputes with critics, asserting that its actions will speak for themselves.
During a dinner event held in Kaduna on Monday, Rev. Dr. John Joseph Hayab, the leader of Northern CAN, articulated this commitment in front of CAN chairmen, secretaries, and various religious leaders. He reaffirmed the association’s dedication to truth, inclusivity, and tackling the challenges that impede the region’s progress.
Rev. Dr. Hayab emphasised that the new leadership of CAN in the North will vigorously advocate for Northern Christians, ensuring their voices are heard and their rights safeguarded. He called upon the Christian community to prioritise unity and collaboration for sustainable development.
“We will continue to be a voice for Northern Christians, defenders of truth, and advocates for justice. However, we will approach this with love and understanding,” he stated.
He expressed concern over the entrenched religious and ethnic divisions in Northern Nigeria, labelling them as significant barriers to growth and peaceful coexistence.
“It is disheartening when people view us as fragmented and intolerant. We must usher in a new era—one characterised by love, respect, and partnership. Our region is blessed, yet these divisions have cost us dearly. It’s time for a shift in mindset,” he added.
In discussions with journalists following the event, Ambassador Elizabeth Azizi, leader of the Northern CAN Women’s Wing, voiced her confidence in Hayab’s leadership, describing him as a capable figure poised to advance the Christian cause in the North.
She also took issue with the previous CAN leadership under Rev. Yakubu Pam and Secretary Elder Sunday Oibe for overstaying their tenure by two years and nine months, urging them to act with maturity and refrain from dragging the Christian community into unnecessary disputes.
Similarly, Northern CAN Youth Leader Evangelist Musa Misal reiterated the youth’s support for Hayab, calling on Pam and Oibe to accept the transition graciously. He demanded an immediate handover of all Northern CAN properties across the 19 states and the FCT to the new leadership.
“The youth stand resolutely behind the new leadership and will provide unwavering support. This is the kind of leader we have long sought,” he declared.
The event saw the participation of prominent Christian leaders from across the region, including Bishop Mohammed Naga (Borno State), Secretary General of Northern CAN; Dr. Barr. Grace Kaka (Bauchi State), Director of Legal and Public Affairs; and Rev. Godwin Adole (Sokoto State), Director of Ecumenism and Interfaith.
Also in attendance were Rev. Emeka Obianyor, Director of Planning, Research, and Strategy; Rev. Fr. Prof. Ngbea Gabriel (Benue State), Director of Youth, Women, and Education; and Rev. Dr. Jonah Samson, Northern CAN Vice Chairman and Chairman of CAN North Central Zone.
Other notable figures included former ECWA General Secretary Worldwide, Rev. Yunusa Madu; and Bishop Ademola Idowu Tinuoye, President of the Pentecostal Bishops Forum and President of the Seat of God Ministries, Kaduna, among others.
Bode George, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has described Abdul-Azeez Adediran, the party’s candidate in the 2023 governorship election in Lagos, as a “congenital liar”.
George spoke on Tuesday in a chat with Jimi Disu on Nigerian Info FM.
Adediran, popularly known as Jandor, joined the PDP from the All Progressives Congress (APC) before the 2023 elections and picked the party’s governorship ticket.
On Monday, he announced his return to the APC four days after meeting President Bola Tinubu in Abuja.
Speaking about the former PDP governorship candidate, George said Jandor taught PDP “a lesson,” noting that he had agreed to pick Gbadebo Rhodes-Viviour as his running mate but reneged.
“He is a congenital liar. We stumbled into him through an older, respectable leader who brought him. It was something unusual because Gbadebo (Rhodes-Vivour) was at the forefront (of the PDP governorship ticket), the party chieftain said.
“But when the respectable man brought Jandor, we had to make a decision because, in our culture, we respect the elderly.
“Gbadebo was on hand, but I asked him his age, and he said he was 39, and Jandor said he was 45. And I said, ‘We can work something out’.
“I concluded that Jandor had been vetted by the old man. Until we had agreed that he would choose Gbadebo as his running mate. Then Gbadebo stepped down after paying 21 million for the party’s governorship ticket.
“Then, one day, Fashola said on TV that Jandor was his former cameraman. That was when we started digging into him.
“All of the party’s elders have concluded that we will not listen to any input from anybody from now on. Let whoever wants to contest go to the field.
“It is a lesson that he (Jandor) taught us. When he got the ticket, he did not want to take Gbadebo as his running mate. He lives in a conundrum of lies.
“Our party doesn’t do that, and we, the elders, apologised profusely, vowing that what happened with Jandor would never repeat itself.”
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas has described food insecurity as a huge national challenge which must be addressed by al tiers of government.
This is just as the Speaker urged the National Assembly and the State Houses of Assembly to deploy legislative instruments to tackle hunger and malnutrition across the country.
The Speaker stated this on Tuesday while addressing the House Committee on Food Security and Malnutrition as well as the National Legislative Network on Nutrition and Food Security in his office in Abuja.
A statement issued by the Special Adviser, Media and Publicity to the Speaker, Musa Krishi quoted Mr Abbas as saying, “Nigeria’s problem is largely, in a way, food insecurity and whatever we can do as parliamentarians to ease the burden on the people when it comes to hunger and malnutrition, we will be doing a very great service to this country. I urge you to please maintain the tempo. Ensure that you continue to increase the level of your activities until we get to that Promised Land.”
Abbas said it is gratifying to hear that an initiative of the House, “Which came on board for the first time in the history of the parliament,” is really making such kind of impact.
He added that “The committee is no longer a baby of the House of Representatives; it has become the baby of Nigeria as a whole, embraced by all the 36 Speakers (of the State Houses of Assembly) who are also making efforts to see that they can take this to all the local government areas.
“I think this is one of the few things that we created in the 10th House that will forever linger in my mind for being very useful to the country. I can attribute that success and the benefits to the chairman of the committee whose passion and commitment are driving this process.”
Earlier, the Chairman of the Committee, Chinedu Okafor stated that the conversations around food security “Cannot start and end in Abuja,” stressing that his committee has taken the campaign against food insecurity and malnutrition to the sub-national levels.
Okafor recalled his meeting with the Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly and Chairman of the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria, Adebo Ogundoyin, which led to organisation of a retreat in Owerri, Imo State, where it was resolved that committees on food security and nutrition be set up at the state parliaments and federal laws be domesticated at the state level.
Okafor also recalled that chairmen and clerks of the newly created committees had a conference in Abuja, which birthed the National Legislative Network on Nutrition and Food Security.
He further hinted that the network is billed to meet with the Vice-President, Senator Kashim Shettima, on Wednesday on the subject matter of food insecurity.
Another explosion occurred at a pipeline manifold in the Omwawriwa area of Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State on Tuesday.
This incident follows a similar explosion that shook the Trans Niger Pipeline, operated by Shell, in Bodo, Gokana Local Government Area just hours earlier.
The latest explosion reportedly took place at a manifold connected to a federal pipeline deep within the forest, which transports crude oil to Brass in Bayelsa State.
While the explosion has not yet been officially confirmed, community sources reported seeing massive flames and thick smoke rising from the oil installation in the forest.
Grace Iringe-Koko, the spokesperson for the Rivers State Police Command, stated that she would investigate the incident but had not provided a response at the time of this report.
A video obtained by our correspondent displays a large fire burning in a remote location.
In a separate development, Ijaw youths blocked the Ahoada section of the East-West Road leading to Bayelsa State on Tuesday in protest.
The demonstrators, numbering over 100, carried placards in solidarity with Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara amid his political dispute with the state House of Assembly. Some of the placards read: “We demand Wike’s dismissal as FCT Minister” and “Martin Amaewhule and 26 lawmakers have defected and lost their seats.