- Islamic group, MURIC has faulted CAN's demand for religious balance in the leadership of the incoming 9th National Assembly
- The group said sensitive positions in the National Assembly should be given to those who deserve it
- The group called on the All Progressive Congress (APC) to ignore CAN’s latest demand
The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has accused the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) of setting a wrong precedent with its demand for a Christian Senate president or House of Representatives Speaker in the coming Ninth National Assembly.
CAN President, Rev (Dr.) Samson Ayokunle, had made the call while making a case for equitable distribution of offices among the major religious adherents in Abuja.
But MURIC director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, in a statement sent to Legit.ng on Tuesday, April 2, said sensitive positions in the National Assembly should be given to those who deserve it.
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Part of the statement read: “Nigeria will not move forward until merit becomes the determining perimeter. Sensitive positions in the National Assembly should be given to those who deserve it based on experience, competence, antecedents and loyalty to party.
“These are not posts of commissioners or chairmen of government agencies. The posts of Senate president and Speaker of the House are too important to be determined on the pulpit. We should not be looking at religion here. Our focus and interest should be Nigeria.
“Where was CAN when Christians took all the principal offices in the National Assembly not too long ago? Where was it when David Mark was Senate president, Patricia Etteh speaker of the House and Aloysius Katsina Alu the Chief Justice of Nigeria parri pasu?
“We have not forgotten even if CAN decide to twist the facts of history. Neither was it too long ago. It all happened during the tenure of ex-President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. So what are we saying? That precedent alone is enough to debunk CAN’s latest demand.
“We call on the All Progressive Congress (APC) to ignore CAN’s latest demand. It is an unworthy distraction. It is unworthy because it was the same CAN that campaigned vigorously in the churches against the emergence of the APC as winner in the 2019 general elections. Therefore, CAN does not deserve APC’s attention.
“Our strong suspicion is that attempts at installing Christians in political posts are more often than not driven by the hope of returns, particularly in form of fatter tithes. It is hardly ever driven by the quest for raising the standard of living of the ordinary Nigerian and good governance.”
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Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari and the leadership of the APC, have been cautioned against subjecting the control of the National Assembly to certain individuals.
This was the position of the senator representing Abia South senatorial district, Enyinnaya Abaribe, who is also a member of the PDP.
Abaribe said the parliament will not sit back and allow anyone impose presiding officers, insisting that only elected senators, who are duly certified, would vote when the time comes.
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Source: Legit.ng
