The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has accused the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN)of setting a bad precedent following their demand that the position of Senate President or Speaker of the House of Representatives be given to a Christian.
The President of the CAN, Rev (Dr.) Samson Ayokunle was said to have written the National Assembly to make such demand in a letter reportedly signed on the CAN President’s behalf by his Special Assistant, Pastor Adebayo Oladeji.
In a statement signed by its Founder and Director, Prof, Ishaq Akintola on Tuesday, MURIC said CAN is simply manifesting symptoms of acrobatic religiousity and warned that Nigeria will not move forward until merit becomes the determining perimeter.
Sensitive positions in the NASS should be given to those who deserve it based on experience, competence, antecedence and loyalty to the party.
“These are not posts of commissioners or chairmen of government agencies. The posts of senate president and speaker of the House are too important to be determined on the pulpit. We should not be looking at religion here. Our focus and interest should be Nigeria.
“Why is CAN agitating now? Where was CAN when Christians took all the principal offices in the NASS not too long ago? Where was CAN when David Mark was Senate President, Patricia Ette was Speaker of the House and Aloysius Katsina Alu was the Chief Justice of Nigeria? Was it so long ago such that we could become overwhelmed by collective amnesia?
“No, sir. We have not forgotten even if CAN decides to twist the facts of history. Neither was it too long ago. It all happened during the tenure of ex-president Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. So what are we saying? That precedent alone is enough to debunk CAN’s latest demand.
“If there was a time all those offices were occupied by Christians, then CAN has no moral basis to complain today if Muslims should emerge as the new occupants. The only ground on which CAN can complain now is if the Muslims complained at that time. So we should ask CAN to tell us and to provide evidence that the Muslims complained.”
MURIC however called on the All Progressives Congress (APC) to ignore CAN’s latest demand describing it as an unworthy distraction.
