Lagos, Nigeria - Christian Association of Nigerian (CAN) in the 19 Northern States yesterday said it would resist Nigeria's membership of Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC).
Secretary General of the association Elder Saidu Dogo said Nigerian Christians were surprised by Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Alhaji Tijjani Kaura's revelation that Nigeria is now a full member of the Islamic body.
He said his group was suspicious when President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua attended the organisation's conference in Senegal recently.
Elder Dogo while reacting to recent revelations by the minister said christians in Nigeria are surprised at the minister's revelation adding that they were suspicious when President Yar'Adua attended the organisation's conference in Senegal recently.
He noted that the OIC issue is resurfacing again in spite of the controversy it generated in 1986 when former military president, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (rtd) attempted to smuggle Nigeria in as a member of the Islamic body.
Christians are surprised because we knew the controversy that heralded the announcement that Nigeria was joining the Organization of Islamic countries in 1986.
"We kicked against it and from that time up to this moment, no Nigerian government has ever come out to explain the position or the status of the country despite the controversy that the issue generated. We have just read in one of the dailies where the minister of state said that Nigeria is a full member of the OIC
"We don't know why everything regarding Nigeria 's membership to this organization is shrouded in secrecy. This is a serious national issue. We are surprised that this thing is shrouded in secrecy. As far as we are concerned, Nigeria is not a member of this organization because nobody has come out to explain things to us.
" What we heard was that President Yar'Adua went to Senegal to attend the OIC conference. We were surprised that the president attended the conference and we were going to ask questions.
"Nigeria is a secular nation and it has no business joining an association of any religious body. If Nigeria is now a full fledge member of the OIC, then we insist that the country should also become a member of the World Council of Churches (WCC). That is the equivalent of the OIC. If Nigeria is registered as a full member of the WCC, then we know that justice and fair play is being done.
"But in the absence of that, we feel that there is a foul play and nobody should take Nigerian Christians for granted.
"Some of the arguments they put forward is that Nigeria will benefit economically as a member of the Islamic body, but the reality is that Nigeria is even richer and better off than many of the member countries of the OIC.
"The fact is that the WCC has contributed positively to the development of Nigeria especially in the education and health sectors, yet it has no status in the country, why should Nigeria be a member of OIC.
"Everybody in this country knows the controversy. We are opposed to the nomenclature of the OIC. Everybody in this country knows the struggle for supremacy between Christians and Muslims.
"For anybody to drag Nigeria into a membership of one religious group is wrong and the person is looking for trouble. If it is for economic interest, Nigeria has diplomatic relations with most Arab countries. Why should somebody come and say Nigeria is a member of the OIC.
" Nigeria is not a Muslim country. It is a country made up of both Christians and Muslims including traditional worshippers. So it is absolutely wrong for the country to be dragged into an association that is mainly for countries that are predominantly Muslims. We reject this in totality and we will protest against it unless Nigeria is also registered as a member of the World Council of Churches" Elder Dogo said.
Meanwhile, Lagos State chairman of CAN, Monsignor Bernard Okodua yesterday said the statement that Nigeria has joined OIC conference is political rather than religious saying no one could Islamise the country.
Okodua who spoke in a telephone interview with Daily Champion said the OIC issue which had been on since Gen Ibrahim Babangida's era is only political because Nigeria being a secular state could not have any religion imposed on her citizens.
"No matter what, as far as I am concerned it is not the issue of religion but it is political, they know why the go there but no one can islamise Nigeria. Nigerians have the right to worship God their own ways," he said.
However, the General Secretary of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) Bishop Joseph Ojo said he was still studying the matter saying he would react appropriately in due course.