By Correspondent in Minna
The Christain Association of Nigeria (CAN), leadership in Niger state has denied allegation of collecting any form of financial inducements to sell out the interest of members for personal and political gains.
The state chairman of the association, Rev. Matthias Echioda, made the clarifications during the Economic and Political Summit organized by the Youth Wing of CAN, Niger state chapter which took place at the ECWA Goodnews Church in Minna the state capital.
Responding to alleged undue silence on issues affecting Christians in the state, Echioda said the association had not and would never soil its hands and conscience by collecting money or monies from politicians or state government in that regards.
Echioda said: “We have not soiled our hands with any dirty dealings with any politician, our hands are clean, our conscience has remained clean. Contrary to what people are saying, we have not been bought over by anyone or any government”.
“We have integrity higher than what people are saying. Our hands and conscience are clean. We are doing our best to protect the interest of Christians in Niger state and I believe we will keep doing our best to achieve desired interests”.
The CAN state chairman,however, lamented that Christians and churches in the state did not accord respect to the CAN leadership in Niger state, adding that the association could get the respect it deserved from outsiders, if such respect comes”.
Echioda called on Christian politicians to come together and decide on how to present a strong common front and candidates ahead of the 2023 general elections, as he argued that one of the goals of CAN was to bring every Christain together to speak with one voice.
Lack of support from Christians in the state in the past, Echioda explained, led to the Christians not having people occupying key positions of authority and therefore wants Christians to start preparing for 2023 to change that narrative.
Also speaking, All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) Governorship candidate in the 2019 general elections, Dr. Joshua Bawa, challenged Christians and churches in the state to support members contesting elective offices to enable Christians have more voice in government.
Bawa recalled that the reason why he did not clinch the Governorship seat in 2019 was because he did not have the backing of churches in the state, adding his other colleagues in such exercise also suffered similar fate.
“Imagine in Niger state, there is just one Christian in the state House of Assembly and most of the key appointments are not given to Christians because when it comes to voting, our people do not come out to vote and this is a well known fact”.
Bawa further lamented that, “The support we as politicians are calling for is not financial support but that when it is time for the election, all Christians should come out and vote for their candidates Christain contestants need the votes, we have seen the need for us to support ourselves, let us change the narrative during the 2023 election”.
Akso speaking, Mrs. Maimuna Dangana-Duza, called on youths, women and female youths in particular, to try and make themselves relevant in the coming political dispensation in Niger state and at the national level.
Ahead of the coming dispensation, “I urge youths to explore the current technological innovations and empower themselves and stop waiting for politicians to use and dump them, or even giving them political appointments below their worth”.
