The Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, has described the efforts by the federal and state government to solve the problem of insecurity in Kaduna State as unacceptable because it is not good enough.
That was the reason, CAN said, the spate of killings had not stopped.
The Christian body made the declaration on Tuesday in a statement issued by Pastor Bayo Oladeji, media aide to the president of CAN, Dr. Samson Ayokunle.
The statement reads in part: “As the umbrella body for all Christians in Nigeria, we share in the pains of victims of terrorism being unleashed on Southern Kaduna and other communities in this nation.
“There is the urgent need by government and the security forces to walk their talk and combat the raging insecurity squarely across Kaduna State and other parts of the country.
“The government should not think that we are not appreciative of their efforts but we say without mincing words that your present best is unacceptable. It is not the best Nigerians expect. How can we be seeing and reading in the news about mass burials and be happy when we are not fighting a civil war? We deserve peace in Nigeria.”
The body said on its own part, it had never ceased to pray for the leaders to have the courage to put an end to “these evils that are giving our beloved country negative image abroad.”
While calling on the government to be more pragmatic in its approach to tackling the problem of insecurity, CAN warned that the government needed to act urgently in order to avoid people resorting to self help.
“The time is now for those God has committed leadership of this country to their hands to show more pragmatism and commitment. We have no other people to look up to for security than those of you in government. That was one of the reasons we put you there for all of us.
“People should not be allowed to result to self help, but if this situation is not addressed, self help might be the alternative because nobody would keep on watching for these nuisance to continue to be on the prowl and snuff life out of him or her.”
The group said it was “regrettable that despite assurances from Governor Nasir Ahmad el-Rufai to bring perpetrators of the Southern Kaduna crimes to justice, the state and security agencies involved in the maintenance of law and order are yet to fulfill their pledge.”
