Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, has advised some musicians who went on a protest to the General Overseer of Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, Enoch Adeboye, to channel their future protests to the government.
Recall that some musicians led by Felix Duke had on Monday protested at the RCCG Redemption Camp on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, calling on Adeboye to speak up on the state of the nation, especially on the rising state of insecurity in the land.
Among the protesters were Charly Boy, Idris Abdulkareem and Baba Fryo.
A statement by the Christian Association issued on Wednesday in Abuja, by its National Director, Legal and Public Affairs, Mr. Samuel Vondip, said while it appreciated the concerns of the protesters, taking the protest to Adeboye was “ill-motivated.”
They described the protest as “insulting” to the church leaders in the country and wondered why the musicians felt it was their right to demand that Adeboye must address issues which CAN and PFN had already addressed.
The statement read in part: “While we appreciate the concern of the protesters over the issues they raised and the call for a better nation, we strongly believe that singling out one of our leaders and members, to say the least, is unfair.
“The entire exercise, in our view, was ill-motivated. The people who staged this insulting protest against a highly revered Servant of God in the person of Pastor Adeboye are totally ignorant of the operations of CAN.
“It needs to be known to all that Adebayo had addressed the press on several occasions, saying that as a ‘man under authority’, he cannot speak on issues that CAN or PFN have spoken about.
“Why should any group of people think that it is their right to protest and demand that Pastor Adeboye must speak on the issues they listed when CAN and PFN had spoken about them?
“On about three occasions, CAN had taken many of the issues raised by the protesters to President Muhammadu Buhari.
“CAN had requested the government to do more to get the people in Boko Haram captivity released.
“We specifically mentioned the remaining Chibok girls, Leah Sharibu, Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, the Islamic preacher who is still kept in detention against the ruling of the court.”
The CAN national director noted that the body had spoken to the Christians in government to speak up for the masses and not to explain away evils in order to keep their jobs and that it had on occasions written the National Assembly for their intervention.
“While we understand the frustration of those who organised the protest, we are against the method they adopted by directing their anger against an innocent man.
“Adeboye will never support oppression and he has been speaking against these evils in the land through CAN and, on several occasions, in his sermons.
“We further urge those who protested to direct their future protests at those in government who should do more to free those who have been in captivity for no sins of theirs.
“They should direct their protest against the people in power to make the nation safer from the attacks of herdsmen, kidnappers, ritual killers, armed robbers, armed bandits and Boko Haram terrorists.
“We have no gun to fight our battles except to speak out as we have been doing and never at the same time give up praying to God who can do all things,” Vondip added.
