BY OMOS OYINBODE
Delta State Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. Gideon Oyibo, has said that the purported N7bn which a Borno State born Pastor, Musa Dikwa, alleged was given to CAN as bribe to campaign for President Goodluck Jonathan, was an unfounded allegation against the Christian church in Nigeria.
Describing the allegation as spurious, Rev. Oyibo, who spoke to our correspondent on phone from his home, said “the issue of N7bn presidential gift to CAN is most ridiculous and irrational”, adding that the worth and value of N7bn makes the allegation most unreasonable.
According to him, “people talk about billions as if it is a thousand or million naira. The N7bn, according to the allegation, is for CAN to campaign for President Jonathan. Is CAN a political party to be given money for campaign?”, he asked.
He added that “if N7bn can be given to CAN, a non political body, as alleged, how much was given to different political groups, ethnic groups, traditional rulers, social groups?, he queried, adding that “it means the federal government or Jonathan has so much money to waste on different groups”.
Rev. Oyibo said the allegation is most unfortunate and “as a person, I’m not aware of what the accuser is talking about. You may have to call Pastor Dikwa Musa to prove his allegation”.
It would be recalled that Musa-Dikwa, had, on 16 February, alleged that CAN got the money on 26 January, 2015 and distributed N3 million to each state chairman across the country to canvass for the re-election of President Jonathan in the 28 March presidential election.
The pastor, who is a former pastor with E.Y.N. Church in Borno State, said the money was sent through the national office of CAN, which thereafter shared N3 million each to its 36 state branches nationwide.
The Pastor, who is the Executive Director of Voice of Northern Christian Movement, spoke to journalists in Kaduna where he poured allegations against the Christian church in Nigeria thereby turning the church to a political party.
In a similar development, Edo State Chairman of CAN, Bishop Peter Imasuen, also said he was not aware of the money as alleged by the Borno Pastor.
Imasuen, who is the Bishop of Benin Diocese of the Anglican Communion, said he is not a politician stating that what pastors owe the country was prayers and not sharing political money
Describing the allegation as one peddled by persons whom he described as “self-made pastors and bishops” who could say anything to cause disunity, Bishop Imasuen said he was only interested in performing his responsibility as a cleric, rather than engaging in partisan politics.
“I don’t belong to any party; once I know that you are a credible person, I can vote for you”, just as he urged Nigerians to vote for candidates who can stand and defend the nation.
