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| Ayo Oritsejafor: The last Christian STANDING in the Islamic Republic of Nigeria |
Recently, Oritsejafor stopped short of calling Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, the Sultan of Sokoto and the leader of Muslims in Nigeria (Jama’atu Nasril Islam) a sponsor of Boko Haram. Oritsejafor, on Monday openly disagreed with the Sultan on the continued violence unleashed by Boko Haram in Nigeria, during a round-table meeting with special advisers on religious affairs from the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory in the Presidential Villa, Abuja. The CAN leader said it was not enough for religious leaders to say sweet things, they must match their words with actions. “The problem with gatherings like this is that if we are not careful, it becomes an occasion for good photographs, shaking of hands and talking very nicely.
“We don’t want to offend each other. Please let us offend each other, we need to. Because if we don’t offend each other, we will not tell each other the truth and that is part of Nigeria’s problems.
While Abubakar said Islamic leaders had “tried so much” to preach against the activities of the sect, Oritsejafor said they had not done enough in reaching out to the insurgents and making them understand the true teachings of Islam.
The programme, tagged “Toward synergising and interfacing in the religious sector for national development” was organised by the Offices of the Senior Special Assistants to the President on Islamic and Christian Matters and was declared open by Vice-President Namadi Sambo.
Abubakar, had claimed in his remarks that there was no problem between Islam and Christianity. He argued that if there was any problem between Christians and Muslims, such a matter should be dealt with at that level. He heaped the blame on what he described as lack of education about religions which breeds lack of trust and sincerity.
Oritsejefor, however, countered by stating that: “I have been told that Boko Haram members, to a very large extent, are very vast in scriptures. What scriptures do they use?"
While acknowledging that few Muslims are killed by Boko Haram in their bid to get Christians, he stated that Muslims who are killed are those who disagree with the sect’s ideology or those who refuse to work with them by giving information. He described as painful and disheartening, a situation where all churches in Mubi in Adamawa State and other places had been levelled.
Oritsejefor also decried a situation where a state governor would vow that he would not use government money to sponsor adherents of a particular religion on pilgrimage. “The problem with gatherings like this is that if we are not careful, it becomes an occasion for good photographs, shaking of hands and talking very nicely.
“We don’t want to offend each other. Please let us offend each other, we need to. Because if we don’t offend each other, we will not tell each other the truth and that is part of Nigeria’s problems.
“If you come out to say certain things, there are those who feel you are rocking the boat but God is in the boat, the boat will not sink.
“Let us talk to each other, let us tell the truth to each other, let us not sweep it under the carpet.
“It is true that Islam and Christianity have no problem. I am glad you (Sultan) said there could be problem between Christians and Muslims.
“Why should a church in the North for the past 30 years not get a Certificate of Occupancy? Any mosque or church in any part of the country should be able to get C of O.
“Why is it that people will want to build a place of worship in a particular part of the country and they will not get land?
“We must create a level playing field for everybody; we must deal with everybody equally.’’
Abubakar reiterated his position that the insurgents were not committing the atrocities in the name of Islam. The Sultan lamented that while Islamic leaders had continued to condemn the insurgents, they were still being accused of not doing enough. “In a situation where Muslim leaders condemn insurgents and they will still be told they have not done enough. That is not fair.
“We don’t tell ourselves the truth. Followers are not telling the leaders the truth, and the leaders will think they are doing the right things.
“If the governor in Sokoto is told that he should sponsor four people to Christian pilgrimage, so be it. It is government’s fund. If a land is needed in Kano for a church, they should get it after following the due process.
“Muslim leaders have tried so much. I have gone across the globe to say that there is no problem between Islam and Christianity.
“We wrote to the Pope, the document is titled the Common World – published in 2010. He replied us and since that time, we have been having meetings.
“We also wrote to the ISIS to tell them that they should not continue to do what they are doing in the name of Islam. If we read those documents we must trust what we have said.
“If we don’t trust one another, we cannot move forward. If we say one thing here and go back to our states to do other things, we have wasted our time and resources.
“Followers should stop telling the leaders what they want to hear. We wrote a letter to the President on what to do to end the scourge about two years ago.”
Abubakar also noted that religious leaders under the auspices of the Nigeria Inter Religious Council had been meeting and going round the country to interact.
He said members of the council had not been able to meet in the last one and a half years because of insecurity.
The Sultan alleged that while they decided to move an earlier meeting fixed for Gombe State to Abuja, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation failed to release funds to them.
He said like every other Nigerian, Islamic leaders also feel the pain of insurgency because one life lost, especially to insurgency, meant a lot to them.
The Sultan advised that as the 2015 general elections approach, politicians should carry out their campaigns without reference to candidates’ religious or ethnic background or colour.
Oritsejafor, however in his reaction, commended Abubakar for writing the ISIS, saying he had not heard about the letter before. He urged the Sultan to also write another letter to the Boko Haram, who had killed more people than the ISIS.
“His Eminence said he wrote a letter to the ISIS. I have to truly congratulate you for that because that was a very good move. I didn’t know about it until now and I am so glad it happened.
“But I want to appeal that you also write to Boko Haram because Boko Haram is worse than the ISIS. They have killed more people than the ISIS, they have caused more atrocities than the ISIS, they need to be written to as well, it is very important; it will help.
“I have made an appeal several times that there are some of our leaders who must come together: religious, political and traditional. They must come and discuss.
“There are still religious clerics that they respect. If these people are not presenting the right thing and are misrepresenting Islam, which I agree it is so to a very large extent, we agree that our brothers should reach out to them so that the real Islam can be presented to them.
“They won’t listen to me, in fact, they will kill me faster than anything else if I go to them, oh yes, that is the truth. I am aware of that. In fact, as I speak, I know what is going on around me all the time, so I know.”
While admitting that insurgents also kill Muslims, Oritsejafor said Muslims fall victims to the sect for two reasons.
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