The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the North West Zone has kicked against the non-representation of Christians in the governing board of the North West Development Commission (NWDC).
President Bola Tinubu had, on September 28, submitted names of members of the Governing Board of the commission to the Senate for confirmation.
Those nominated by the President include Haruna Ginsau (Jigawa) as Chairman and Prof. Abdullahi Shehu Ma’aji (Kano) as Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer.
Other members include Dr. Yahaya Namahe (Sokoto), Aminu Suleiman (Kebbi), Tijani Kaura (Zamfara), Abdulkadir Usman (Kaduna), Muhammad Wudil (Kano), Shamsu Sule (Katsina), and Nasidi Ali (Jigawa).
However, in a statement on Sunday, October 6, 2024, in Kaduna, Elder Sunday Oibe, North-west Zonal Chairman of CAN, said the appointments did not reflect the diversity in the region.
Oibe condemned the non-inclusion of a representative of the indigenous Hausa/Fulani Christians in the region.
He said there were indigenous Hausa/Fulani, all the states that make up the North-west region.
Oibe maintained that by excluding Christians from the appointment, President Tinubu had started manifesting the Muslim-Muslim ticket he promoted during the 2023 presidential election.
According to him, Christians in the North-west, “are deeply concerned about the recent appointments,” stressing that it is unfortunate that appointments did not reflect the diversity in the region.”
The statement called on the president to take note of the fact that “there are indigenous Christians in all the states that make up the North-west – Kaduna, Kano, Jigawa, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara.“
It should not be assumed that the entire population in the North-west is Muslims.
“Lopsided appointments, to say the least, is unbecoming of the Tinubu administration and we are disenchanted by this action.”
Oibe called for inclusivity and fair representation of Christians in the board of the NWDC.
The statement urged the president to review the appointments and make necessary adjustments to ensure balanced representation.
“Leaving these appointments unchanged will have negative consequences for the commission’s success and encourages religious divisions in the region and Nigeria as a whole.
“We call on Tinubu to prioritise unity and inclusivity in his decision-making, especially when it comes to issues of balancing the two religious bodies,” the religious body advised. [THISDAY]
