…say muslims are entitled to one day public holiday in next Eid-el-Kabir
celebration
A group of Christians in Nigeria led by National Christian Elders Forum
have condemned the extension of public holiday by the Federal Government
over the non-sighting of the moon during the just-concluded Eid-el-Kabir
celebration by the Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of Supreme
Council for Islamic Affairs, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III.
While insisting that the trend portends a dangerous precedent that the
government of Muhammadu Buhari was taking instructions from the Sultan,
the coalition said the government and Islamic leaders should repay the
country the extra day that was lost during the next Eid-el-Kabir “in which
we expect that only one day should be approved as Public Holiday.”
Key members of NCEF include Mr. Solomon Asemota (SAN) (Chairman); Gen.
Joshua Dogonyaro (rtd); Prof. Joseph Otubu, Gen. Zamani Lekwot (rtd), Dr.
(Mrs) Kate Okpareke, Dr. Ayo Abifarin, Bishop Joseph Bagobiri, Archbishop
Magnus Atilade, Elder Moses Ihonde, Elder Nat Okoro and Prof. Vincent
Anigbogu.
Others are Gen. Ishaku Dikko (rtd), Justice Kalajine Anigbogu (rtd), Elder
Shyngle Wigwe, DIG P. L. Dabup, Sir John W. Bagu, Dr. Saleh Hussaini,
Elder Mike Orobator, Chief Olaniwun Ajayi, Justice M. Ogebe (rtd), Mrs.
Priscilla Kuye, Chief Debo Omotosho, Dr. Musa Asake, Joseph Daramola,
Pastor Olatunbosun Emmanuel (Secretary).
The coalition in a statement by Asemota obtained in Abuja, said it was
obvious that the All Progressives Congress (APC), which promised Nigerians
change from the lawlessness and impunity that seem to characterise this
country, was drifting the country to a wrong direction.
Apart from NCEF, other members of the coalition include Nigerian Christian
Graduate Fellowship; Think Tank for the body of Christ; Christian Lawyers
Fellowship of Nigeria; Association of Christian Schools in Nigeria;
Students Christian Movement; Christian Professionals Forum; Intercessors
for Nigeria and and International Prophetic Ministerial Association (Inc.
Worldwide College of Bishops and Ministers: Africa, UK and USA.
The coalition also has Intercessors Without Walls; Wailing Women
International; Full Gospel Businessmen Fellowship; Nigerian Fellowship of
Christian Students; Ministers Prayer Network; International Christian
Embassy Jerusalem and University Joint Campus Christian Fellowship as
members.
The statement by Asemota reads: “As Nigerians, we congratulate the Muslims
in the nation on their successful completion of the Ramadan fast in 2016.
However, we are disturbed by the apparent shoddiness and confusion the
Federal Government brought into the declaration of the Public Holiday
rounding up the Muslim religious exercise.
“The Federal Government had earlier declared Tuesday 5th and Wednesday 6th
July as Public Holiday only to reverse itself and declare Wednesday 6th
and Thursday 7th July 2016 as Public Holiday. If this was done before
Tuesday was observed as Public Holiday, it would have been tolerable but
declaring Thursday 7th as Public Holiday in addition to Tuesday and
Wednesday is a mark of institutional unseriousness. The implication now is
that three days would be work free in the week.
“We are equally appalled that the Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman
Dambazau based the decision to declare Thursday as Public Holiday on the
directive by the President General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for
Islamic Affairs, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, the Sultan of Sokoto, to the
effect that the Ramadan fast continues today (last Tuesday) as a result of
the non-sighting of the moon.
“We are not aware that Nigeria has transmuted into a religious theocratic
state in which the leader of a religious group issues directive to the
Federal Government. If the President General of the Nigerian Supreme
Council for Islamic Affairs confirmed Wednesday and Thursday as Public
Holiday for the Ramadan fasting, then who advised the Federal Government
to declare Tuesday a Public Holiday?
“As innocuous as some people may want to present this development, it is a
dangerous signal confirming the worrisome direction of the party that
promised Nigerians change from the lawlessness and impunity that seem to
characterize this nation. Since the inception of the Buhari
administration, it has left no one in doubt of its discriminatory leaning
towards Islam as the preferred religion in Nigeria, in violation of
Section 10 of the constitution.
“The Buhari Administration needs to be reminded again that Nigeria is not
an Islamic Theocratic State that receives “directive” from a Sultan.
Nigeria is a democratic and secular nation and preferential treatment
should not be accorded any section of the nation but all should be treated
equally.
“If indeed a mistake was made in declaring Tuesday a Public Holiday that
does not warrant declaring Thursday a Public Holiday. Both the Federal
Government and leaders of Islam should have maintained the statutory two
days Public Holiday and learnt a lesson on how to not to repeat the
mistake in future.
“It is very embarrassing the tardiness and shoddiness that the Buhari
Administration has brought into governance in Nigeria. Decent and
respectable people are ashamed at the flagrant acts of discrimination,
nepotism, and impunity of the APC led government.
“We wish to state clearly that declaring Thursday an additional Public
Holiday is not only wrong but an insensitive approach to the management of
the economy. The economic well being of the nation should not be
sacrificed on the altar of religious fervor.
“Nevertheless, having illegally appropriated an additional day as Pubic
Holiday during the Eid-el-Fitri, the Federal Government and leaders of
Islam should be prepared to repay the nation the extra day during the next
Eid-el-Kabir in which we expect only one day should be approved as Public
Holiday. Nigeria should not be turned into a lawless nation. The APC led
government should call itself to order.
COALITION OF CHRISTIAN GROUPS
1. NATIONAL CHRISTIAN ELDERS FORUM (NCEF)
2. NIGERIAN CHRISTIAN GRADUATE FELLOWSHIP (NCGF)
3. THINK TANK FOR THE BODY OF CHRIST
4. CHRISTIAN LAWYERS FELLOWSHIP OF NIGERIA (CLASFON)
5. ASSOCIATION OF CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS IN NIGERIA (ACSIN)
6. STUDENTS CHRISTIAN MOVEMENT (SCM)
7. CHRISTIAN PROFESSIONALS FORUM (CPF)
8. MINISTERS PRAYER NETWORK
9. INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN EMBASSY JERUSALEM (ICEJ)
10. NEMA
11. INTERNATIONAL PROPHETIC MINISTERIAL ASSOCIATION (IPMA)
(Inc. Worldwide College of Bishops & Ministers, Africa, UK & USA)
12. INTERCESSORS WITHOUT WALLS (IWW)
13. WAILING WOMEN INTERNATIONAL
14. FULL GOSPEL BUSINESSMEN FELLOWSHIP
15. NIGERIAN FELLOWSHIP OF CHRISTIAN STUDENTS (NIFES)
16. UNIVERSITY JOINT CAMPUS CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP (UJCM)
10 JULY, 2016
Signed:
Solomon Asemota (SAN)
FOR: COALITION OF CHRISTIAN GROUPS
ENDS…