– Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) has accused Governor El-Rufai of creating hostilities between Christians and Muslims with the Kaduna state Religious Bill
– PFN calls on meaning Nigerians and relevant stakeholders to prevail on the government of Kaduna state to withdraw the bill
– Warn that the bill has latent explosive heat that can set Kaduna state on fire
Representatives from over one thousand churches within Kaduna metropolis and environs have vowed to do everything legal to ensure that the rights of Christians were not curtailed in Kaduna state.
The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, (PFN) has called on Governor El-Rufai to withdraw the religious bill before the Kaduna state House of Assembly.
The resolve by the churches is coming on the heels of the Kaduna state Religious Bill now before the consideration of Kaduna state House of Assembly.
The bill is geared towards regulating Christianity and Islam as it seeks to create an inter-faith Ministerial Committee to be appointed by the governor and exercise control over Jama'atu Nasril Islam, JNI, and the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN.
But the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, (PFN) has kicked against bill, describing it as anti-Christian.
According to Vanguard, speaking on the bill which he described as obnoxious, the chairman of the PFN, Kaduna state chapter, Reverend Femi Ehinmidu said it was improper for the government to embark on restricting and regulating religious activities while other prevailing issues in are left unattended to.
"It is unimaginable to see our erudite Governor exhuming a military era edit which came into being when the constitution was suspended, smacks of mischief," he said.
"Now with this bill that he has sent to the House, he is opening up new vistas of hostilities between Christians and Muslims when bias implementation is carried out if the bill is passed into law.
"Furthermore, the bill is obnoxious and directly offends our faith.
The bible commands us in Mark 16 vs15 to 'go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature' and 1 Thesselonians 5 vs 29 also said 'pray without ceasing' this is the life wire of the Christian religion.
"Taking away the rights to preach and evangelise is telling
the Christians not to practise their religion as commanded by the Lord Jesus.
the Christians not to practise their religion as commanded by the Lord Jesus.
"There are many laws that legislate on trampling on the rights of other people. Let those laws take full course, the bill should not take Kaduna State backward.
We oppose the bill in its entirety and we shall do everything legal to ensure that our rights as Christians are not curtailed."
Reverend Ehinmidu called on meaning Nigerians and relevant stakeholders to prevail on the government of Kaduna state to withdraw what he described as the vexing bill before Kaduna state House of Assembly.
The bill has latent explosive heat that can set Kaduna State on fire if not tamed with proper stakeholders engagements or better still withdraw the bill from being processed in the house of assembly and use existing laws to address the re-emerging religious challenges.
"The Nigeria constitution guarantees our freedom of worship and our rights to propagate our religious beliefs.
The Kaduna State government is not wiser than the whole lot of eminent Nigerians who gave the nation the constitution.
In another development, the Kaduna state government has harshly criticised the organised labour for threatening to resume strike if the government doesn't stop the current verification of workers.
Addressing the workers through his media aide, Samuel Aruwan, Governor Nasiru El-Rufai said that the verification is compulsory and those avoiding being screened would be immediately removed from payroll.
©Naij. Com
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