President of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Orisejafor, has tasked religious leaders in the north on ending the Boko Haram insurgency.
Orisejafor spoke in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, during the graduation, send-forth and prize giving ceremonies held by Stephen International Centre.
“With all sense of all responsibility, I use this opportunity to call on all Muslims religious leaders, traditional rulers and political leaders in the north not necessarily in the South West because in the South West, we have lived together and I know the way it operates in the south west.
“So, I am challenging from the north, our religious leaders, political rulers and traditional rulers as matter of urgency, to step forward and take responsibilities for the way out of this problem.
“Boko Haram is propelled by a religious ideology, it is not poverty. Anyone who tells you it is poverty is not telling you the truth. It’s not poverty. When you blame it on poverty, it is an insult to poor people. There are poor people everywhere even Christians all over the north. Bin laden was not a poor man. He is from a rich Saudi Arabian family. The Nigerian boy who almost blew up a plane on Christmas day is a son of one First Bank chairman and he is still one of the richest people in Nigeria today. Boko Haram insurgency is an ideology. People are being radicalised by an ideology,” Oritsejafor said.
The occasion was attended by prominent dignitaries, including Secretary to Ogun State Government, Taiwo Adeoluwa, South West CAN coordinator, Arch. Bishop Magnus Atilade, commissioner for women affairs, Elizabeth Sonubi and national coordinator of voice of Christian matyrs , Isaac Oluwole, among others.
