CAN slams Islamic Council over hijab, Appeal Court Justices

*Says The Council Is A Promoter Of Bad Governance,
Divisiveness And Injustice

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has described the
attack by the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA)
on the hijab crisis and appointment of Appeal Court Justices as
evasive.

NSCIA, a few weeks ago, attacked CAN for opposing the nomination
of 13 Northerners/ Muslims out of the 20 jurists listed as Court of
Appeal Justices.

The Sultan of Sokoto-led council also accused CAN of beating a
war drum over the introduction of hijab in mission schools in
Ilorin, Kwara State.

It said the Christian body has not only shown morbid hatred for
Islam and its adherents but always adopted scurrilous propaganda as
a strategy of causing undue tension in the country.

But CAN fired back, that the Judiciary was the appendage of
NSCIA under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari,
especially throughout his first term, adding members of the Islamic
council were in charge of affairs.

It said: “Our attention has been drawn to a Press Statement
issued by the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA)
where the Council used vulgar, immature language and unprintable
words to describe the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in its
bid to justify the obvious lopsided appointments of the Federal
Government in favour of its members. The Council was smart by half
when it picked an example of just one arm of Government without
addressing the totality of fundamental questions on all the arms of
government.

“The NSCIA evaded those troubling issues that are well known not
only to Nigerians but members of the international community; those
knotty issues that have pushed our country on the edge of
precipice.

“By doing so, NSCIA has unwittingly exposed itself as a promoter
of bad governance, divisiveness and injustice in Nigeria under the
Buhari administration.

“Why did the Council remain evasive on the big issue of the
Court of Appeal? Interestingly, there was never a time when CAN
ever attacked or made veiled reference to NSCIA over the obvious
lopsided appointments in the country.

“CAN’s concern has always been directed at the Federal
Government as a concerned non-governmental group but NSCIA as an
underdog of Government rather took it upon itself to speak for the
Government. We wish the Council had allowed the Government to speak
for itself.

“We all know how they removed Justice Walter Onnoghen from
office without following due process. But for the critical section
of the polity including the likes of Col. Umar Dangiwa, the
incumbent President of the Court of Appeal would have been denied
her succession privilege and right. We didn’t see NSCIA on the
list.

“Is it falsehood or character assassination that the Security
Council of the country has remained an appendage of NSCIA under the
watch of President Muhammadu Buhari?

“The Constitutional position is that all of us, Christians and
Moslems are stakeholders in this country, and votes were not
collated on the basis of religion.

“So for the government to bend or lean towards Muslims in its
appointment of Security Chiefs is unconstitutional and doesn’t take
into consideration the varied interests of other ethnic and
religious groups.”

On hijab, CAN said: “Up till today, it is those things that
cannot bring development in education that the NSCIA members are
still fighting for such as the wearing of hijab in schools started
by Christians and are still largely being maintained by them.

“Will a girl wearing hijab be more brilliant in school than the
rest of her counterparts? They have forgotten that till today, we
are not mounting pressure on the government to introduce the
Christian culture to the Islamic schools.”

*Says The Council Is A Promoter Of Bad Governance,
Divisiveness And Injustice

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has described the
attack by the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA)
on the hijab crisis and appointment of Appeal Court Justices as
evasive.

NSCIA, a few weeks ago, attacked CAN for opposing the nomination
of 13 Northerners/ Muslims out of the 20 jurists listed as Court of
Appeal Justices.

The Sultan of Sokoto-led council also accused CAN of beating a
war drum over the introduction of hijab in mission schools in
Ilorin, Kwara State.

It said the Christian body has not only shown morbid hatred for
Islam and its adherents but always adopted scurrilous propaganda as
a strategy of causing undue tension in the country.

But CAN fired back, that the Judiciary was the appendage of
NSCIA under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari,
especially throughout his first term, adding members of the Islamic
council were in charge of affairs.

It said: “Our attention has been drawn to a Press Statement
issued by the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA)
where the Council used vulgar, immature language and unprintable
words to describe the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in its
bid to justify the obvious lopsided appointments of the Federal
Government in favour of its members. The Council was smart by half
when it picked an example of just one arm of Government without
addressing the totality of fundamental questions on all the arms of
government.

“The NSCIA evaded those troubling issues that are well known not
only to Nigerians but members of the international community; those
knotty issues that have pushed our country on the edge of
precipice.

“By doing so, NSCIA has unwittingly exposed itself as a promoter
of bad governance, divisiveness and injustice in Nigeria under the
Buhari administration.

“Why did the Council remain evasive on the big issue of the
Court of Appeal? Interestingly, there was never a time when CAN
ever attacked or made veiled reference to NSCIA over the obvious
lopsided appointments in the country.

“CAN’s concern has always been directed at the Federal
Government as a concerned non-governmental group but NSCIA as an
underdog of Government rather took it upon itself to speak for the
Government. We wish the Council had allowed the Government to speak
for itself.

“We all know how they removed Justice Walter Onnoghen from
office without following due process. But for the critical section
of the polity including the likes of Col. Umar Dangiwa, the
incumbent President of the Court of Appeal would have been denied
her succession privilege and right. We didn’t see NSCIA on the
list.

“Is it falsehood or character assassination that the Security
Council of the country has remained an appendage of NSCIA under the
watch of President Muhammadu Buhari?

“The Constitutional position is that all of us, Christians and
Moslems are stakeholders in this country, and votes were not
collated on the basis of religion.

“So for the government to bend or lean towards Muslims in its
appointment of Security Chiefs is unconstitutional and doesn’t take
into consideration the varied interests of other ethnic and
religious groups.”

On hijab, CAN said: “Up till today, it is those things that
cannot bring development in education that the NSCIA members are
still fighting for such as the wearing of hijab in schools started
by Christians and are still largely being maintained by them.

“Will a girl wearing hijab be more brilliant in school than the
rest of her counterparts? They have forgotten that till today, we
are not mounting pressure on the government to introduce the
Christian culture to the Islamic schools.”