CAN CHAIRMAN �For annoying Obasanjo in Jos��Arrested cleric refuses to apologise�NBA,
others react to presidential outburst
Jude Owuamanam (Jos), Festus Owete (Abuja) Emeka Madunagu and Taiwo Rasak
The Plateau State chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Rev. Yakubu Pam who had a brief altercation
with President Olusegun Obasanjo when he visited the crisis torn area of Plateau state on Thursday, was arrested
by security operatives immediately after the president�s departure.
The Administrative Secretary of the Jama�atu Nasril Islam, Sheikh Abdullazeez Yusuf, suffered the same treatment.
Both were picked up for allegedly �annoying the president.�
They were however released after some hours following an undertaking that they would not incite their followers.
Both men had raised some questions at the forum convened by the government to enable the president interact with
religious leaders on the persistence of crises in the state. But Obasanjo reprimanded them for their statements.
Pam, who confirmed his arrest in an interview with our correspondent on Friday said that he was asked by the securitymen
who picked him up why he �annoyed the president.�
Narrating his ordeal to our correspondent in Jos, the CAN leader said he �was asked to make a written statement
not to incite Christians in the state and to apologise to the president and I told them that I have never and can
never incite Christians and that as a man of God, I believe in peaceful co-existence of everybody irrespective
of tribe or religion. But as for apologizing to the president, I told them I cannot do that unless I meet the executives
of CAN and we take a common position on the issue.�
The JNI official, who confirmed that he was also arrested and questioned, however, declined to relate his experience.
He said he would not be able to say what transpired until he had briefed JNI�s leadership, who would then take
a common stand on the issue.
Our correspondent gathered that the directive to arrest the duo was given immediately after the president walked
out of the venue in anger.
Obasanjo had poured invectives on Pam, for reportedly accusing him of bias in the manner he responded to the latest
crisis.
According to Pam, when in February, 46 Christians were killed in a Church in Yelwa Shendam, the president did not
think it fit to invite leaders of CAN, but when Muslims were killed in a somewhat reprisal attack in the same area,
the president invited leaders of Muslim Ulama to Abuja.
A visibly enraged Obasanjo interrupted him, saying: �Mr. Chairman of CAN, you are talking absolute nonsense and
don�t provoke me. When I did invite people to Abuja in April, do you think I invited them for a picnic? CAN my
foot! As a Christian, what did Christianity teach you? Revenge? You are an idiot. A total idiot. And I have no
apologies for that.�
Without warning, Obasanjo stormed out of the meeting venue, bringing the session to an abrupt end.
National President of CAN, Primate Peter Jasper Akinola, promptly requested for an audience with the president
so as to clarify the issues. According to him, �I don�t believe that a man of the calibre of our president, over
67 years old, will call a pastor an idiot and would say CAN my foot!, I don�t want to believe that hence I have
booked an appointment to see him.�
The Primate of the Church of Nigeria ( Anglican Communion), said his mission and that of the other Christian leaders
was to build Nigeria and to sustain democracy adding: � If we engage in a war of words, that is, the church versus
the state, this country will go on fire and that is not our objective.�
He added: �When Mr. President and a pastor are fighting on the pages of the newspaper, what will come out of it?
It is calamity.� Although the CAN president confirmed that the entire body rejected the reconciliation committee
set up by the president which the Emir of Zaria headed, he however declined to comment on the arrest of the Plateau
CAN chairman.
Meanwhile, The Nigerian Bar Association also on Friday called for moderation on the part of the leaders and the
people on sensitive national issues, instead of resorting to abusive language.
Expressing NBA�s position, its national president, Chief Wole Olanipekun, said it was quite unbelievable to read
the intemperate language attributed to Obasanjo.
Olanipekun also said it was improper for the president to ridicule Pam by saying he is a better Christian than
the religious leader, declaring: �It is only God who can judge through His Son, Jesus Christ, who is a better Christian.
We are all saved by grace. Let no man boast. If God is to judge us by our sins, no man will stand before Him, particularly
in Nigeria. None of us is righteous except Christ.�
He said the recurring bloody crises had presented a good opportunity for the convocation of a national conference,
where the co-existence of the peoples of Nigeria would be discussed.
The NBA boss said Obasanjo�s declaration last week in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State that such a conference cannot hold
as it is unconstitutional would not prevent the talk-shop from taking place.
Expressing his own views, international coordinator of the Macedonian Initiative, Rev. Ladi Thompson, said Obasanjo�s
outburst showed that he lacked a clear understanding of the issues at stake in the Plateau crises.
Thompson said the Christian community would not take offence with Obasanjo because the president is under pressure
from forces beyond his control, alleging that these same interests were bent on ensuring that emergency rule is
declared in the state.
Renowned lawyer, Mr. Fred Agbaje, said Thursday�s show was an �elongation of Obasanjo�s hostility to opposing ideas.
People like him believe that they know it all and they know too much and as such are not susceptible to correction.
To me, that is the hallmark of a failing leader. Who doesn�t know that he is generally intolerant? Everybody knows
him for that. That is part of his military background. That is not the attitude of a democrat. A democrat must
be willing and able to receive opposing ideas and views no matter how unpalatable they are.�
SATURDAY PUNCH, May 15, 2004
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