The Christian Association of Nigeria visited President Muhammadu Buhari at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja on Friday and cautioned that nonpayment of workers’ salaries and allowances might heighten tension in the country.
Addressing State House reporters after a closed-door meeting with Buhari, CAN President Rev. Supo Ayokunle said the association
demanded immediate attention to the payment of salaries and allowances of workers.
"This is may heighten the tension in the country as lack of payment of salaries had led to suicide and this has also led to increase in crimes as well. When people can’t find food to eat, they resort to whatever they can lay their hands on," he said.
He said in order to keep the sanctity of Nigerian constitution, the CAN demanded the nation’s exit from international religious organisations of which the Federal Government had signed treaties
Ayokunle said the association also advised the government to recruit more police officers and vote more funds for security in order to address kidnapping, armed robbery, militancy and herdsmen’s attacks.
The CAN, he stated, expected the government to take actions that would make all Nigerians happy, especially by addressing the issue of lopsided appointments.
The cleric, who noted that the CAN had been very supportive to Buhari’s government, explained: "When you see people speaking out their minds, you should know that those people don’t want things to scatter. The people that don’t talk are the enemies of the nation. When you see things going wrong, you quickly speak out so that they can be corrected so that the nation can move together as one."
He stressed that no CAN member was apposed to any Muslim financial system, restating that there was no "demon in Sukuk bond. But what was wrong is the constitutionality…It is wrong for the government to be the one who will be promoting and initiating it.
"It was a violation of the constitution. We have talked to the government today (Friday) to keep the sanctity of the constitution which will guide the behavior and actions of everyone. They must be able to keep everybody together."
