14th November, 2013
Jethro Ibileke/Benin
“Blessed are the peace makers”, so the Holy Book says.
In Nigeria, the efforts by some clerics in Nigeria’s Niger Delta region to forge peace between President Goodluck Jonathan and Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers state, have earned them not plaudits, not even blessings, but thorns from the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria, headed by Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor.
The priests were suspended as CAN members.
But now the priests now want to challenge the suspension in the law court.
The Global Peace Relief Initiative, under the leadership of Prophet Jones Ode Erue said it will take up the case of the bishops in an action to be filed against CAN’s South-South Chairman, Archbishop God-Dowell Avwomakpa and Oritsejafor’s CAN.
The Niger Delta Bishops who attempted to reconcile the G-7 Governors with the Presidency, had incurred the wrath of the CAN President who severely chastised them, culminating in their alleged suspension by the South-South Chairman of CAN.
The affected bishops have asked Awomakpa to retract the alleged suspension or face legal action, adding that lacks the jurisdiction to suspend them.
“Avwomakpa has no capacity to suspend us. He is not our member, we only invited him to join us when our delegation visited Governor Rotimi Amaechi.
“We give him 48 hours to retract the announcement of our suspension and all the bad things he said about us on Delta Television or else we will institute legal action against him and CAN,” Prophet Erue said, adding that his group now know the enemies of the country and would not allow them to sleep.
The Clerics had earlier carpeted Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor over his comment in which he disparaged them in the media for attempting to reconcile the G-7 Governors with the Presidency.
In a statement signed by their leader, Prophet Erue, the men of God described Oritsejafor’s statement to the effect that CAN was apolitical as laughable, accusing the CAN President of getting involved in politics of calumny and name dropping.
They said they may not own private jets but they were unquestionable characters, dependable leaders and steward of peace and holders of of reputable degrees.
“We are disappointed that a leader could sit and watch his two children fight while the rest of us suffer only to come and blackmail those who take their time to seek solutions to the crisis”, the statement said and warned that no amount of blackmail or intimidation would deter them from the noble mission rescue the country from imminent collapse.
“It is surprising that Pst Ayo Oritsejafor, the CAN president will handle issues of immense gravity and national importance hastily, with levity and without discretion.”