The Christian Rights Agenda (CRA) has condemned, in strongest terms, an insult on the Christian faith by Mr. Abdulkareem Jamiu Asuku, the Chief of Staff to Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello.
CRA’s criticisms come as the CAN Chairman in Okehi Local Government Area has been receiving bashing on social media for claiming that Asuku apologised for his comments, and advised Christians to forgive him and move on. Many have asked to show proof of the apology.
The CoS, who, on Radio Kogi 93.5 FM on Monday, while discussing a lingering quarrel among Muslims in Ebiraland over which sect produces the Chief Imam of a mosque in Okene, veered off the context of the discussion by alluding to denominations in Christianity.
He compared the dichotomy among the Islamic sects to Christian denominations, and disparaging Christians for not being true followers of Jesus Christ.
In a statement signed by its Acting Director of Publicity, Tom Chiahemen, CRA argued that Mr. Asuku’s comments were not only an insult on Christianity, but they also epitomized the hatred and bigotry against Christians in the government of Governor Yahaya Bello.
CRA is a Christian organization set up to advocate the respect for the rights of Christians in line with the principles of freedom of religion, thoughts and beliefs, enshrined in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The statement said, “Kogi governor’s Chief of Staff’s comments steams of discrimination, bigotry, hatred and the kind of bias that should not be in the heart of a government official. The Bible says, “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh” (Matthew 12:34).
Apparently, this Chief of Staff spoke from the prevalent disposition of the government at Lugard House in Lokoja, and that is unfortunate. A government and those who run it should be all-embracing. Governor Yahaya Bello is not a governor of Muslims, except he wants to be seen to be so. But if his CoS is showing open disdain for the Christian faith, it means the administration is doomed.”
The CRA added that “Christian denominations in Nigeria have not carried out cold-blooded murders; massacre of innocent persons in villages and cities; destruction of properties; raping of women, men and children; hatred, and outright genocide that is the stock-in-trade of some religious groups in Nigeria. An evidence of this is the fact that Ebiraland is the hotbed of senseless sectarian and ethnic killings in Kogi State in spite of the fact that the majority of the people in that part of the state belong to one religion. Christianity does not advocate mass murder, hatred, and all the evils that manifest in Ebiraland.”
The Christian organization added that “Christian denominations have, instead, fostered freedom, peace, trust, respect for each other, and even led to development. In Nigeria, the Redeemed Christian Church of God is not at war with Deeper Life Christian Ministry; neither is the Baptist Church at war with Methodist Church. Churches are not daggers-drawn at each other, unlike what happens in Okene over the position of Imam of the mosque.”
The group called on Kogi State governor to change his bias towards Christians in Kogi State, and counsel his staff against disparaging the Christian faith in the name of settling a dispute among Islamic sects.
The CRA maintained that contrary to Asuku’s disparaging insinuation, the various Christian denominations in Nigeria, as “true followers of Jesus Christ,” do not, and have always condemned, cold-blooded murders; massacre of innocent persons in villages and cities; destruction of properties; raping of women, men and children; hatred, and outright genocide being reported in some parts of Nigeria.
An evidence of this is the view of many Nigerians that Ebiraland is the hotbed of senseless sectarian and ethnic killings in Kogi State in spite of the fact that the majority of the people in that part of the state belongs to one religion.
The CRA is of the candid opinion that instead of dissipating his energy disparaging Christianity, Governor Bello’s Chief of Staff, who ought to have been worried about this public perception of Ebiraland, should have been finding ways of how to change the narrative.
Recall that after Asuku’s comments, an Abuja-based minister and National Coordinator of Mobilisation and Networking of the Nigeria Evangelical Missions Association (NEMA), Pastor Victor Idakwoji, opted to educate Asuku on his ignorance of the Christian faith.
In a statement, 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 a radio programme, Asuku, representing 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”.