US-based Nigerian Christians have decided to form a pressure
group in America to advance the interests of the Nigerian immigrant community
and their homeland-Nigeria. And their first concern is how to bring an end to
the Boko Haram violence in parts of the country.
“Our lights will no longer be hidden again,” according to
Dr. James Fadele, a senior pastor and the Chairman of the Redeemed Christian
Church of God in North America, which denomination alongside several others in
the United States is now mobilizing other Nigerian churches, pastors, leaders
and Christians to come together.
Empowered Newswire reports that already about 10 Nigerian
denominations in the US have either registered their support for the group, or
indicated same. An impressive meeting was held during the week in New York
where it was agreed that all Nigerian Christians in the US should form an
association to be called Christian Association of Nigerian-Americans, CANAN.
The denominations and their heads in the US, apart from
Fadele of the RCCG in North America, who were at the New York meeting are New
Covenant Church led by Archbishop Joseph Alexander, Jubilee Christian Church
led by Dr Olabisi Tofade, and Dr. Olufemi Alabi of the Bethel of Praise
Ministries.
Other denominations with senior pastors and leading church
members at the meeting include the Catholic Church, Christian Apostolic Church,
CAC, Celestial Church of Christ, CCC, while the Nigerian Anglicans, Winners
Chapel and Christ Life Ministries pastors and leaders have also indicated their
support for CANAN. Outreach efforts to bring in more Nigerian Christians and churches
are said to be ongoing.
In fact CANAN now plans to go and form regional chapters
across the US in leading cities until the entire America is covered.
Sources close to the leadership of the Christian Association
of Nigeria, CAN also disclosed that the President of CAN, Pastor Ayo
Oritsejafor is already aware of the new group and has already conveyed his
delight to the promoters of the idea, which include leading Nigerian pastors
and overseers.
Indeed, it was learnt that during Pastor Oritsejafor’s
presentation in July before the US Congress on Boko Haram, he was asked by some
of the American law-makers whether there were Nigerian Christians in the USA,
since their voices have not been heard regarding the violence and terrorism
being meted out against fellow Christians and other Nigerians especially in the
northern part of Nigeria by Boko Haram.
On return home the CAN president reported the situation to
some of the very prominent Nigerian heads of denominations, who in turn decided
to actively support the plan that has led to the formation of CANAN.
Calling it “a heart-warming proposal,” Archbishop Joseph
Alexander, of the New Covenant Church in New York, perhaps one of the longest
surviving Nigerian pastors in the US, noted that time was very ripe for such an
association to be formed to represent Nigerians here in the US and influence
the progress, peace and unity of Nigerians at home.
At the inaugural meeting of the association in New York a
substantial amount of money was raised and pledged on the spot to support the
organization, while additional plans and resources had also been set aside to
take care of the renumeration of the secretariat staff of CANAN, now based in
New York.
According to CANAN vision statement, the association is “to
be the leading voice of Nigerian-American Christians and their immigrant
communities within and outside the United States of America, advancing their
interests, views and causes.”
In its mission statements, it was noted that CANAN will pray
and advocate vigorously “for the upliftment of Nigerian-Americans and their
immigrant communities in the US and work to marshal their influence in a widely
diverse nation and the world for the purpose of promoting peaceful co-existence
among all people regardless of religious convictions.”
Members of the Association at their New York inaugural
meeting said CANAN’s first assignment is to start a campaign on the Boko Haram
violence, working with the US and Nigerian
governments to seriously consider strong and effective measures that will bring
the killing and terrorist activities to an end.
Already some US Congress members have set appointment with
the leaders of the new association.
CANAN sources say plans are ongoing to complete the
formation of a board of trustees to govern the association. While the process
for electing trustees for the association has not been completed, some of the
Board have already been elected at the New York meeting earlier this week.
Those already named include Pastor James Fadele, who will
chair the board, Archbishop Joseph Alexander, Pastor Olabisi Tofade of the
Jubilee Christian Church, Pastor Timothy Agbeja from the CAC, former World Bank
Vice President for Africa, Oby Ezekwesili, leading Nigeria professor in New
York, Prof Ebere Nduka and Beatrice Hamza-Bassey, a Nigerian partner at a one
of the oldest American and international law firm based in New York, and Pastor
Joe Takon and Enefaa Korubo, among others.
A leading US-based journalist and pastor, Mr. Laolu Akande
is also among the elected trustees and has been named the Executive Director of
the association.
Several US-based Nigerians at the New York meeting expressed
the readiness to “speak up ” on behalf of the Christians who were being
persecuted in Nigeria. It was clear that most of them had reached the point
where they believe that enough is enough, according to Emma Ogebe, a US-Nigeria
law expert who was also at the meeting.
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