Investigate Oritsejafor over cash for arms deal, ACF urges lawmakers

 

THE Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has called on the National Assembly to institute a high panel of inquiry to investigate the cash for arms scandal involving the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, the Israelite found in his plane and the government officials with a view to bringing the culprits to book.ACF said doing so would serve as deterrent to others and equally protect the integrity of Nigeria.

The forum, in a communiqué signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Muhammad Ibrahim and made available to journalists in Kaduna at the weekend, commended the Federal Government for winning the war against insurgency but insisted that the shoddy arms deal must not be swept under the carpet.While ACF appreciated “the effort of government to contain the insurgency in the North-East and other parts of Nigeria, laid down procedure of arms procurement must be followed to avoid illegal arms importation into the country especially now that we are faced with many security challenges of insurgency and unnecessary killings of innocent persons.”The National Working Committee of Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) met on September 23, at the forum’s headquarters, in Kaduna. The forum deliberated extensively on the current security challenges in the country and in particular the recent attacks on the students of Federal College of Education, Kano, some villages of Sanga Local government area of Kaduna State and in Shinkafi and Maradu villages of Zamfara State where many innocent lives and property were destroyed.The forum resolved that “in reviewing the general security situation, the meeting while appreciating the efforts of government, the security and intelligence agencies in combating the insurgency in the North-East region, it however condemns in strong terms the continued attacks and killing of innocent people by unknown gunmen and suspected cattle rustlers without counter action from the security agencies.

“Furthermore, suspected sponsors and financiers of such atrocities have continued to enjoy government protection and cover while innocent Nigerians are being killed.”On the proposed creation of 30,000 additional polling units nationwide, ACF called on Independent National Electoral Commission to do justice to all by ensuring that the best known practices and standards were used in creating the new polling units.

Meanwhile, a group, Advocacy for Societal Rights Advancement and Development Initiative (ASRADI) has called for a full disclosure of the transaction for the $9.3 million which was contained in a plane arrested recently by the South African authority.The group, in a statement released by its Executive Director, Adeolu Oyinlola, stated “we the ASRADI demand a full scale public inquiry into how a government department or agency would carry loads of cash in a private jet overseas, ostensibly to transact official business.”

In a related development, the Christians United Against Boko Haram (CUABH) on Sunday in Abuja slammed a former Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Cardinal Olubunmi Okogie, for his comments on the current President of Christian Association of Nigeria, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, saying he should keep quiet because under him (Okogie) Nigeria was taken to the Organisation of the Islamic Conference.

The organisation therefore urged Okogie “to be mindful of his words and avoid being used by enemies of the body of Christ.”

Okogie was quoted to have, while reacting to the $9.3 million arms deal in South Africa, criticised Oritsejafor for establishing a university and for allegedly romancing with President Goodluck Jonathan, saying it had totally derailed him from the essence of Christian leadership.

But the Executive Secretary of CUABH, Deacon Olusola Oyedokun, in a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja entitled:”Okogie: Those who live in glass Houses”, said Okogie’s attack on the integrity of the current CAN president was hypocritical and unbecoming of a man of his personality.

He said, “As CAN president under whom a secular Nigeria was taken to the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, Okogie has very little moral grounds to stand on to attack the integrity of Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor.