A former Commissioner for Information and All Progressives Congress, APC chieftain in Kogi State, Dr. Tom Ohikere has risen in defence of Abdulkareem Jamiu Asuku, the embattled Chief of Staff CoS, to Governor Yagaya Bello accused of disparaging Christianity through remarks that he made during a radio program on 93.5FM.
Ohikere, also a Christian from the same Kogi Central with Asuku in a statement denied the blasphemy charge against the CoS.

He noted that Asuku didn’t insult Christians in any way. Ohikere said Governor Bello and his Chief of Staff, Abdulkareem Jamiu Asuku have not on any occasion displayed any acts of religious bigotry.
He further explained that Bello’s administration has been fair in all sence of judgment to both the Muslims and the Christians alike and the good people of Kogi have been living together as a people created by one God, and cautioned that no one should spark or fuel crisis in the state.

“I was born a catholic, but now I worship with Mountain of Fire and Miracle Ministry. I am a practicing Christian with very strong belief in Christ. Religious leadership should be a devine call to serve for both the Muslims and Christians and should not be politicized to the extent of expecting a Governor to leave issues of economic importance and get involved on selecting Iman if not for glutton and insensitivity of our minds”.

“Asuku didn’t insult Christian religion and he will never do that with govt or without govt. He was only addressing the insensitivity of the people for fighting over religious leadership. He had helped both Christains and Muslim without discrimination and abuse of religion. His statement on 93.5 FM was a reference to the issues on ground among the Muslim Ummah.

“So my Christain brothers and sisters disregard any kind of misinterpretation from biased minds that are bent at defaming the Bello’s administration at all cost.

“For record purposes, Christians never worshiped in the confines of Government House in Kogi state and there had being Governors and Chief Of Staffers before the emergence of His Excellency, However, today there is a Christian Chapel in the Government House this is possible in the reign of Chief Pharm Abdulkareem Asuku Jamiu without any rumor of opposing such policy before or after it’s implementation. This is an extreme show and display of religious tolerance on his part.

“I am very sure that the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), in Kogi central can attest to the fact that the relationship between them, that’s the government and the Christians is mutually beneficial and I advise my Christian brothers to differ from the faceless elements that are trying to misinform the public. Ebira Christians are too informed to be misled by shortsighted ones.”

“The said Abdulkareem Asuku Jamiu was paying NECO, WAEC, NABTEB, Empowering the market women, paying hospital bills as part of his humanitarian service to humanity and gave scholarship to our students in higher institution of learning to both Christians and muslim.

“What he said was that the governor would not have been involved in the issue of chosing an Imam were it not for the fact that as the State’s Chief Executive, the security and well-being of the society rests on his shoulders.

“We won’t sit down and allow Ebira land to be engulfed in crisis, otherwise the governor is too big to come home and be participating in the process of picking an Imam”, he said in the 44 minutes, 20 seconds video.