Christian Association of Nigeria defends Adeboye saying he is not a government minister

CHRISTIAN Association of Nigeria (Can) leaders have defended the embattled general overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) Pastor Enoch Adeboye saying he is not to blame for government failings.

Of late, Pastor Adeboye, the leader of the largest evangelical church in Nigeria has come in for a lot of criticism for failing to speak up against many of the woes afflicting the nation. Highly influential and courted by governments both at home and abroad, Pastor Adeboye has come under fire for not speaking up against Nigeria's plethora of socio-economic woes like Fulani herdsmen attacks, clergymen raping women, kidnapping, Boko Haram terrorism, the government's ill-fated Ruga land policy and corruption.

Over the last week, demonstrations have been geld outside Pastor Adeboye's church, with protesters asking that he use his influence to speak up. At a recent protest outside the RCCG campground, demonstrators carried placards condemning his purported silence on some national issues, describing it as embarrassing.

However, yesterday, Samuel Kwamkur, Can's director of legal and public affairs, advised the protesters to direct their anger to people in power and not the Christian body or its leaders. He pointed out that Pastor Adeboye was not a government minister of official so should not be held responsible for the failings of political leaders.

Mr Kwamkur said: “The attention of the Christian Association of Nigeria has been drawn to the news of a protest led by some secular musicians against one of our highly respected leaders of the church, not only in Nigeria but worldwide, the general overseer of the RCCG, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, over his purported silence on some unpleasant national issues and the call for his suspension from the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, (PFN). While we appreciate the concern of the protesters over the issues they raised and the call for a better nation, we strongly believe, as the umbrella body for Christians and churches in Nigeria, to which the RCCG and Pastor Adeboye belong, that to single 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 Enoch Adeboye are totally ignorant of the operations of the Christian Association of Nigeria.

"It needs to be known to all that for more than once, Pastor Adebayo has addressed the press and said that as a man under authority, he cannot speak over issues that Can or PFN have spoken about, unless by the express permission of these two bodies. 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 and Boko Haram."