CAN president, Dr. Samson Ayokunle; President Muhammadu Buhari
According to Punch Metro report, the National Executive Committee
of the Christian Association of Nigeria has dissolved the Nigerian
Christian Elders Forum after a panel set up by the committee concluded
an investigation into allegations of misconduct against the CAN
President, Rev. Samson Ayokunle.
The Elders’ Forum, in a memo titled ‘NCEF Protests: Is NEC of CAN
Guilty of Negligence?’ in May, had alleged that when Ayokunle led a
delegation to meet President Muhammadu Buhari on November 10, 2017, the
leadership of CAN received N40m as “transportation money.”
However, the CAN executive committee, in an advertorial published
in The PUNCH on Friday, said it had investigated the claims and upheld
the leadership of the Christian body.
The statement said, “CAN is fully aware of the numerous
provocative publications through various media services which have been
gaining rounds in recent weeks, making it appear as if the association
has lost its direction and focus.
“Most of these publications have been released by either of two broad categories of people.
“One group is that of innocent but ignorant people who do not know the truth of happenings in CAN.
“This group believes the news without finding out and makes publications which are completely false and unfounded.”
According to it, the other category is made up of people who are
“intentionally mischievous” because they don’t have their way in gaining
control of the association.
It added, “They have sought to make CAN “business as usual,’ but they have found stiff resistance in the current CAN leadership.
“They got hold of the CAN Vice President to levy accusations
against his principal in order to bring him to disrepute before the
world and the association.
“CAN leadership became very concerned and set up a committee to investigate all allegations against the CAN president.
“And while the CAN president made himself available to the
panel with documentary evidences, his accuser, the CAN vice president,
refused to appear before the committee in spite of all attempts made to
ensure his appearance.”
CAN NEC noted that it met on October 12, 2018 and November 20, 2018
to consider and resolve the report of the Reconciliation Committee.
It added that the NEC, at its November 20 meeting, unanimously applauded the CAN president for his achievements.
“In addition, the following decisions were made by CAN NEC:
That CAN immediately dissolves the Nigerian Christian Elders’ Forum,
which was inaugurated on Thursday, January 15, 2015 by the powers
conferred on the then CAN president.
“CAN NEC, by the same powers that inaugurated the forum,
forthwith dissolves and dissociates completely from the NCEF in view of
the incongruous and unacceptable operations manifested consistently by
the group.
“That CAN NEC dismisses in its entirety, the publication of the
immediate past National Youth CAN Chairman, Mr. Daniel David Kadzai,
who, in a national newspaper (not The PUNCH) of Monday, November 12,
2018, alleged that the CAN president defrauded CAN of ‘over N2.8bn.’”
According to the statement, CAN regrets that a man who had served
in the association in the past could not only be malicious, but
impersonated himself as Chairman of the Congress of Northern Nigerian
Christians.
“Although he has apologised for his falsehood by the said
publication and has verbally retracted his claims, and the CNNC has
equally denied him of being their chairman, it is important to set the
records straight.
“The meeting ended with the entire house passing a vote of
confidence in the CAN president, Rev. Dr. Samson Ayokunle, and urging
him to forge ahead with his good work in CAN,” it added.