President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, has said that the main reason the country is still experiencing insurgency is because Nigerians are pretenders and shy away from the truth.
Oritsejafor, who made this known while speaking at the Northern State Christian Elders Forum (NOSCEF) Traditional Ruler Conference 2014 in Abuja, said the greatest war Nigeria is fighting presently, is the war against truth.
Oritsejafor said, “Nigeria is fighting against truth. We hate truth, we hide truth and we fear truth. It is so unfortunate. In John 8:32, Jesus said you shall know the truth and the truth will make you free. Nigeria is not free because we are running away from truth. Truth can be bitter, but when you swallow it, when it gets inside, it could become sweet.
“No nation can grow or develop without embracing the truth. No matter how difficult it is. In the same John 8:46, Jesus said, ‘if what I have told you is the truth, then why do you refuse to believe me?’ This is the situation of Nigerians today, we are like ostriches; we are a nation of pretenders.
“We wrote from the truth and we want to believe that somehow, our troubles will just vanish, but it never happened that way, because truth has a way of creating a level plain ground for everybody. Nigerians must face the truth, accept it, work with it, live by it, and must build a nation of truth”.
The National chairman of NOSCEF, Mr Olaiya Phillips lamented that the challenges confronting northern communities and entire Nigeria are huge, stressing that the activities of Boko Haram in the North-East is an inferno engulfing the nation.
“In recent months, many politicians have tried to claim that one political party or another is secretly using Boko Haram for their own ends. Providing them with weapons and finance; Yet not one piece of evidence has been forthcoming.
“Accusations and denials have filled the newspapers, but these politicians not want to help our community. They just want our votes so that they can look after themselves. They feed on fear and gorge themselves on terror.
“They demonstrate that they can be no part of Nigeria’s future, so long as they remain wedded to exploitation of terror for short-term political gain. They do not offer their help to the Government and security services to fight Boko Haram – they create obstructions.
“They talk politics while members of our community are murdered. They point fingers while Boko Haram point rifles. They broker deals to secure their jobs and livelihoods, while thousands of Northerners lose their lives and neighbourhoods. They do not care about the plumes of smoke on the horizon”, he said.
