Ayokunle

The Newly elected President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, (CAN), Dr Samson Ayokunle, has said that he foresaw his election to lead Christians in Nigeria in 2015.

A statement signed by Rev Musa Asake, General Secretary, CAN, and made available to newsmen on Monday in Abuja, said that Ayokunle, made the revelation in an interview with journalists after his election.

“Well, in October 2015, when I was doing my holiday in Houston, Texas with my wife, I had a dream that I participated in CAN presidential election.

“ I saw a bloc that is not mine, voting for me in mass, I woke my wife up and I said, ‘Mummy, am I going to be a candidate in CAN’s election?

“My wife said: ‘no you are not going to be in Jesus Name; the trouble there is too much, I don’t want you for that type of trouble’.

“Well life is a sacrifice and I don’t think God is a joker, He doesn’t joke, God is communicating something to us.

“I don’t think we need to reply through emotion; we need to be serious and go into serious prayers to know the mind of God concerning this matter,’’ it said.

It noted that religious leaders should mentor their children properly and be able to teach what is right to reduce religious intolerance.

“Whenever the government is not upholding the sanctity of the constitution in terms of the secularity of our existence, the church must speak out without fear of favour.

“If you have been telling people to move and they move to the wall and you are still telling them move, where do you want them to move to?

“The government of Nigeria should not take things for granted and think they will be promoting one religion above the other or favor one religion to the detriment of the other.

“Whenever we see that, we will tell them to be very careful and we will speak out,’’ the statement said.

It advised the government to maintain balance and keep close to constitution irrespective of the religious belief of those in government.

“The government should respect the constitution of Nigeria because if the government breaks the constitution of Nigeria on religion alone, they will open the door for lawlessness in the society,’’ it said.

It stated that Ayokunle said the recent attack on a Christian for allegedly eating during fasting was the height of religious intolerance and bestiality.

“Somebody was going to eat in the afternoon; he was not a Muslim, what right do you have to go and stab that person in a law abiding society?

“So these are the things we must all rise to condemn, since nobody has monopoly to guns and violence; we should not continue to provoke people.

“There is a theory in Psychology that instigation to aggression depends on the degree of frustration.

“If you continue to frustrate a people they may end up becoming aggressive, we don’t want that state,’’ it stated. (NAN)