Some NASS Members Demanded Bribe From Me For CAMA Bill Amendment, CAN President Alleges

THE President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN),
Reverend Supo Ayokunle, on Tuesday, said some members of the
National Assembly demanded a bribe from him before the
controversial Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) bill can be
amended.

Ayokunle made this disclosure in Ibadan during the handover
ceremony to new leaders of the Nigerian Baptist Convention,
Reverend Dr Israel Akanji and Professor Adewale Akinsola at Baptist
Convention Building Chapel, Dugbe, Ibadan.

The CAN chairman, who is the immediate past president of the
convention tasked his successors to depend on God for the
realisation of any objectives and mission regarding the
Christianity and Baptist convention activities.

Recalling what he went through while looking for a sponsor for
the amendment to the CAMA bill, Ayokunle said “the arm of flesh is
going to fail you. Politicians in Nigeria, when they want to have
their way, they know how to lobby. When we went to lawmakers who
are Christians in the National Assembly to assist us in sponsoring
a bill for amendment to CAMA, I set up a committee to meet
them.

“They said if you want us to help, you have to lobby and what
does lobby mean. They said Christians only cannot give us what we
wanted; that they have to go to non-Christians and before they can
support us, there must be an ‘answer’ in your hands.”

Commenting on the proposed introduction of Sharia Law in the
South-West zone of the country, the new president of the
convention, Revd. Akanji said it was improper and illegal to impose
Shariah Law on the people.

He stated: “We don’t all believe in Sharia and Christians should
be allowed to operate as Christians. In our Christian schools, we
have our enabling law. You can’t come to our schools and say you
want this done. There are Islamic schools, a Christian can’t go
there and call the shots, saying we want this or that. We can’t do
that.

“Why for God’s sake will you come to a Christian school with
Christian principles and enabling law and demand that certain
things must be done. We should create space for one another.
Christians must not drive out Muslims and Muslims must not drive
out Christians,” Akanji remarked.

THE President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN),
Reverend Supo Ayokunle, on Tuesday, said some members of the
National Assembly demanded a bribe from him before the
controversial Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) bill can be
amended.

Ayokunle made this disclosure in Ibadan during the handover
ceremony to new leaders of the Nigerian Baptist Convention,
Reverend Dr Israel Akanji and Professor Adewale Akinsola at Baptist
Convention Building Chapel, Dugbe, Ibadan.

The CAN chairman, who is the immediate past president of the
convention tasked his successors to depend on God for the
realisation of any objectives and mission regarding the
Christianity and Baptist convention activities.

Recalling what he went through while looking for a sponsor for
the amendment to the CAMA bill, Ayokunle said “the arm of flesh is
going to fail you. Politicians in Nigeria, when they want to have
their way, they know how to lobby. When we went to lawmakers who
are Christians in the National Assembly to assist us in sponsoring
a bill for amendment to CAMA, I set up a committee to meet
them.

“They said if you want us to help, you have to lobby and what
does lobby mean. They said Christians only cannot give us what we
wanted; that they have to go to non-Christians and before they can
support us, there must be an ‘answer’ in your hands.”

Commenting on the proposed introduction of Sharia Law in the
South-West zone of the country, the new president of the
convention, Revd. Akanji said it was improper and illegal to impose
Shariah Law on the people.

He stated: “We don’t all believe in Sharia and Christians should
be allowed to operate as Christians. In our Christian schools, we
have our enabling law. You can’t come to our schools and say you
want this done. There are Islamic schools, a Christian can’t go
there and call the shots, saying we want this or that. We can’t do
that.

“Why for God’s sake will you come to a Christian school with
Christian principles and enabling law and demand that certain
things must be done. We should create space for one another.
Christians must not drive out Muslims and Muslims must not drive
out Christians,” Akanji remarked.