CAN says it will challenge government failures while remaining open to cooperation
Christian Association of Nigeria president Archbishop Daniel Okoh says the organisation will support policies that benefit citizens but publicly criticise failures to protect life, rights and welfare. Speaking at CAN’s 50th-anniversary press conference in Abuja, he also urged stronger action against insecurity and warned politicians against exploiting religious divisions.
The Christian Association of Nigeria will continue to criticise the Federal Government when it fails to protect citizens or threatens their rights, its president, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, said on Friday in Abuja. Okoh was speaking at a press conference marking CAN’s 50th anniversary, held under the theme “Walking Together in Faith: Celebrating 50 Years of CAN’s Journey”. He said the association would engage authorities constructively while retaining its independence.
The CAN president said the organisation was neither a political opposition party nor an institution created to praise the government. It would support policies that improved Nigerians’ welfare and cooperate with government when partnership could help deliver good governance and development. But he said CAN would speak out against injustice, insecurity and constitutional violations.
Its loyalty to truth, he added, could not be subordinated to political proximity or relationships with leaders. Okoh called on the government to intensify efforts against terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, communal violence and other crimes. He said attacks on places of worship, killings, abductions and the displacement of communities had also forced farmers from their land and worsened food insecurity.
He urged security agencies to develop systems that prevent attacks rather than respond only after lives have been lost. “Early warning must lead to early response,” he said, calling for closer cooperation between security agencies, communities and civil society organisations. While acknowledging President Bola Tinubu’s efforts to reduce violence, Okoh said more needed to be done to improve security agencies’ performance.
He also said CAN would defend Christians facing attacks or discrimination but rejected religious hatred, stressing that every Nigerian deserved protection. He urged political parties contesting the 2027 elections to avoid using religion, ethnicity and regional sentiment as campaign tools.
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