Christian Association of Nigeria Kaduna Chapter Moves Against Anti-Public Preaching Bill

The Kaduna State Chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), has agreed in one voice to present a united front to ensure that the anti-public preaching bill in the state is not passed into law. It was also gathered that the Christian body has already instructed its lawyers to draft a protest letter, which will be submitted to the state House of Assembly, after ratification by CAN tomorrow (Monday). A reliable source within the association had said in confidence that a segment of CAN had earlier given a blind nod to the executive bill because according to the source, they have an interest in it. Hinting that the initial rift had been settled, the Chairman of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria in the state, Rev. Emah Egoh, confirmed that a meeting was held on Monday and the house was happy with the outcome. “The Pentecostals are more on the move, and then Kaduna State being what it is, is very cosmopolitan in culture, religion as well as evangelize. So they are actually compromised until this matter blew into the open and now they have started retreating.” He said: “At least we came up stronger now to object the bill. They asked us to make our submission, by the time we do that and since Jama ‘atu Nasri Islam (JNI) has already objected it by the time we come, stronger opposition, the house will throw it out.” When contacted to give the position of CAN on the executive bill seeking to stifle evangelical activities in the state, CAN General Secretary, Rev. Musa Asake, said that he would rather not comment on the matter as the Kaduna State chapter was already handling the situation. His words: “I don’t want to come in now. You can contact the state CAN; they are handling it, because if they are handling it and I don’t know where they are now I don’t want to contradict it. I cannot come in now.” But the CAN scribe in the state, Rev. Dr. Sunday Ibrahim, said that the state CAN never gave any approval to the executive bill as alleged. “I don’t know of that. No, it is not true, I don’t agree with that. No CAN has given approval to that bill, because I am the secretary. If there is anybody that can bring a document to that very effect, that CAN did that, except if some people had gone behind because I am the Secretary of CAN Kaduna State. Our position has been very clear in this very issue,” he said. Ibrahim, however, confirmed that the church in Kaduna State had actually spoken in one voice and would not leave any stone unturned until the offensive bill is thrown out by the state House of Assembly. His words: “What we are saying in a nutshell is that the church has had quite good discussion with our people. Entirely, the church in Kaduna is saying no to that very bill knowing that the bill has so many things that are very implicative to the church. And so we are saying no to the bill. We are not in agreement with that very bill.”