For putting his foot in his mouth and making derogatory remarks about Christianity, the Chief of Staff to the Kogi State Governor, Mr. Abdukareem Jamiu Asuku, has come under intense criticism for what one described as a display of ignorance of the Christian faith.
Other commentators have asked that he be appropriately disciplined by the Governor, who he was allegedly speaking for when he made his controversial comments.
A minister of the gospel and National Coordinator of Mobilisation and Networking of the Nigeria Evangelical Missions Association (NEMA), Pastor Victor Idakwoji, however opted to educate Asuku.
In a statement in Abuja, Idakwoji said: “My attention has been drawn to a radio interview with the Chief of Staff of the Governor of our dear Kogi State, Mr. Abdukareem Jamiu Asuku, who was sent to represent his principal, Alh. Yahaya Bello to call for peace between two factions of the Muslim community in Okene. But sadly, he left the matter on ground to insult the Church of Jesus Christ out of sheer ignorance of the Christian faith; his own religion, Islam; the Holy books; and the ethics of his office as a public servant and the principles of leadership.
“It is curious to us that Mr. Asuku abandoned the assignment to appease two aggrieved Muslim factions and deliberately went on a voyage to invite religious unrest making blasphemous statements against Christianity. If not for the peace loving nature of Kogi Christians, the state would have been engulfed already by his inflammatory utterances!
“I am compelled as a Christian and a citizen of our dear Kogi State to clear the air on his wrong and manipulative interpretation of Scriptures so that the teaming young population of our dear state will not buy his ignorance being sold using public office and platform, and be misled from the Truth.
“Let me make it clear to Mr Asuku and all our careful listeners that Christianity has no Old and New Era since the crucifixion, burial, ressurection and bodily ascension of Jesus Christ into Heaven. There was an Old Testament before these historical events but after these events, all true Christians are followers of Jesus Christ the Messiah, including Apostle Paul who he called and assigned in an audible voice to take his message (the Gospel) to the Gentiles. There are no followers of Barnabas and Paul, we all have one Lord, Jesus Christ, who is the only begotten Son of God, who is God’s Incarnate.
“Let it be known also that Asuku has quoted Deuteronomy 6:5; Mark 10:32; and Mark 12:19 completely out of context. If he has time to read those three verses of the Bible, he should as well have read John Chapter 1:1-5, ” *In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God and the word was God. The SAME was in the beginning with God, and without Him was nothing made that was made, in Him was life and the life was the light* *of men, the Light shines in darkness and darkness could not overcome it”.*
“If he does not understand and believe who is the word of God, he should read Qoran 3:45, where it is clearly stated that Isa (Jesus) is the sign and the word of Allah to mankind (not only Israel). Read the words of Prophet Yahaya (John), the son of Zachariah, the forerunner of Jesus confirmed by the Qoran in John Chapter 1: 10, 12, 14, 29, 36, 49, and Jesus’ confirmation of same in verse 51 and read John 3:13-18 just to mention a few. If you believe the Qoran you will believe that Jesus is KalimatuLa’h, the word of Allah, if you believe his Prophets you will believe that “the word was made flesh, and dwelth among us” John 1:14. In verse 49 the same prophet echoed the words of Mathias in the presence of Jesus, “you are the Son of God, you are the King of Israel”.
Now let’s look at John (Yahya) Chapter 3:13-18, these are the very words of Jesus mostly marked in red letter in the Injil, it reads: “And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from Heaven, even the Son of Man which is in Heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved. He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God”.
“Lastly I wish to confirm to you that Jesus is Spirit of Allah (RuhuLa’h) as stated in Qoran 21:91, the same as the Bible ascertained in the words of Angel Gabriel (Jibril) “the power of the most high shall overshadow you and the Spirit of the Lord shall come upon you, therefore the Holy child shall be called the Son of God” Luke 1:31-35 (paraphrased). Sir, if the Spirit of God is God, and that God through His Spirit impregnated Mary to give birth to Jesus, I don’t know why the paternity of the Son of the Spirit of God is a thing of argument to you. I know the carnal mind cannot understand the things of the Spirit, my prayer is that same Spirit who teaches us all things will open your eyes to comprehend these mysteries and deliver you and all our readers and listeners permanently from the dangerous darkness of ignorance in Jesus Name.”
Asuku has drawn the ire of many Christians who berated him for his indiscretion, with some referring to viral video where a Muslim cleric authenticated the prime position of Jesus Christ.
Speaking on radio programme Asuku who represented his principal, Bello, addressed the leadership tussle in the Okene Central Mosque following the death of the Imam, Sheikh Musa Galadima, between members of the Izala and the Tijanniyah sects, he dovetailed to speak on Christianity.
He accused the contenders of behaving more like “modern day Christians who have neglected the teachings of Jesus Christ, a Muslim, and gone after Barnabas and Paul who coined the concept of Christianity”.
He added: “My plea to the Islamic Ummah in Ebira land is that for God’s sake, they have started exhibiting Christianity. The Muslims in Ebira land have deviated to Christianity ignorantly. The reason why I am saying this is that in the Qur’an, Hadith and the Prophet that we are all following, it is not written anywhere that there is Shi’ite, Izala, Terriqqa, Tijanniyah, Salafiya, Ahmadiyya, Quraniyu or any other sect in Islam. God told us to obey the five pillars of Islam and obey him as the only God.
“This is the same message He sent to Christians of old through Jesus Christ who we call Prophet Isa. But, modern day Christians have today turned their religion upside down. The Ebira Muslim Ummah has today turned their religion to the way of modern day Christians because of this Imamate issue. There is nothing like that in Islam. What they are doing is modern Christianity”.
Asuku, who spoke mainly in Evita said further: “I have a reason for saying that because I am heading somewhere. Even you will still have to go and check your Bible today.
“The old era Christians who followed Jesus Christ used to call him “Teacher”. He was sent to the Israelites and given the Bible. We Muslims call him the spirit of God. Jesus told Christians that there is only one God who created him. You can check this in the Bible book of Deuteronomy 6:4. Jesus said and I quote; ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one’. Jesus told the old era Christians in the book of Mark 12:19 when he was asked about God that; ‘Hear O’ Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one’. Still in the book of Mark 10:32, the Israelites affirmed what Jesus had been telling them, saying, ‘O Teacher, you said it and you are right. The Lord our God is one’.
“Look, Jesus was a Muslim. Anyone who is worshipping God in Ebira land know that all we have talked about now is Islam. There is no other god but Allah alone and there is none beside Him, according to the Qur’an. The same thing that Jesus said then is what the Qur’an has said now.
“It was after Jesus died that Saint Barnabas and Paul stood up and coined the word Christian, to mean Christ-like, long after the death of Jesus Christ. That is the Christian religion that people are following today. That was not the religion of Jesus and that is what those struggling to become Imam are bringing into Islam today”.