By Mathew Dadiya
The recent designation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern by the U.S. President, Donald Trump has been described by the Chairman, Southern Kaduna Christian Leaders Association (SKCLA) and former National Secretary, Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Apostle Emmanuel Kure as a welcome development and ‘a long-overdue moment of truth.’
According to Apostle Kure, our leaders must act, whether our plundering politicians are ready or not, for time is running out—the moment of reckoning is now.
The clergy who stated this in a statement he signed on Tuesday, noted that successive governments, northern Muslim leaders, and even some Christian leaders and governors have paid lip service to peace, human rights, and unity.
He lamented the systematic rewriting of the history of northern minorities continues, with their lands seized, quotas stolen, traditional institutions debased, and political representation denied.
Kure expressed concern that far too long, Christians in the North have been abandoned by the very nation that should have protected them.
Apostle Kure who is the founder of Throne Room Trust Ministry, Kafanchan, Kaduna State, noted that in many northern cities and institutions of learning such as Bayero university Kano and Sokoto Universities and in several other northern establishments, churches are not permitted to be built while mosques abound, thereby encouraging jihadist ideologies that are hostile to the Christian faith.
“This is not so in the South, which is raising the question if we have a separate government from the south,” the Cleric pointed out.
“The killings in Benue and Plateau States, where there is no evidence of theft or criminality, revealed a scorched-earth campaign targeted at persecuted Christian communities.
“The persistent killing of pastors in Southern Kaduna, the neglect of dangerous roads, and the half-hearted measures in Borno all prove that there is knowledge of the truth, but no political will to confront it.
*As a nation, we must face ourselves in the mirror. Sometimes, only external forces, like Trump’s bold stance can make us confront our reflection, since we appear incapable of doing so ourselves.
“In spite of his many contradictions, Trump has become, perhaps, a hand of divine correction, compelling nations to look inward. Britain, too, must share in this reflection, for it bears part of the foundational errors that have kept Nigeria divided.
“Whether one calls it “external interference” in a so-called sovereign nation or not, something must challenge the recklessness of African leaders who continually mortgage the future of their people. Africa still has a chance to rise and that rebirth must begin with Nigeria.
At last, someone somewhere, has taken notice of the plight of Christians in Northern Nigeria, a plight our own government has consistently failed to acknowledge, let alone address.
Kure said “It is high time Churches in Nigeria began to speak out by calling on the government to rise to the occasion of providing a level playing field for all religions to practice freely. The church is not speaking enough and the government is not properly adviced.”
The Apostle however, acknowledged and commended the Kaduna State Government’s early steps toward reform and peaceful coexistence, and we pray that these baby steps grow into a model of fairness and justice for the entire North.
