The leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in a post-election congratulatory meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari on his 2019 election victory has requested for a deliberate and relentless efforts to free Leah Sharibu, other Chibok girls and Nigerians in captivity of insurgents.
Led by its president, Samson Ayokunle, the CAN leadership equally appealed to the President to task security agencies to be more proactive in their duties.
Ayokunle prayed God to grant President Buhari ‘‘everything it takes to perform a hundred times better than his first term,’’ stating that CAN had the success of the administration at heart.
Ayokunle welcomed the President’s pledge to run an inclusive government in a speech shortly after his re-election, noting that the gesture would give everybody in the country a sense of belonging.
However, the leadership of the Christian body in Nigeria also called for ethnic and religious balance in the selection of leadership of the ninth National Assembly.
President Muhammadu Buhari Abuja assured Christian leaders of running an all inclusive government reiterating his commitment to leave Nigeria better than he met it in 2015. “In the area of allocation of political offices, our focus will be on merit and national spread, such that every part of Nigeria will have a sense of belonging.”
Femi Adesina, the special adviser on media and publicity to the President, in a statement, said President Buhari gave the assurance when he received the leadership of CAN at the State House, Abuja.
The President affirmed that his administration would continue to address important national challenges, including security, economy and corruption. “We will continue to strive for peaceful co-existence among all Nigerians, irrespective of their religious beliefs. ‘‘We remain resolute in the fight against terrorism and insurgency, and efforts to bring back all those in captivity and other victims of kidnappings will be intensified.’’
While commending the important roles religious bodies had played in the last four years of the administration, President Buhari pledged to continue supporting several programmes being anchored by the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC), geared towards peace, tolerance, unity and harmony of the country.
Seyijohn Salau
