TheCable

Danjuma, Christian elders’ comment on Onnoghen betrayed Jesus Christ’s virtue of honesty- MBCG*

The Middle Belt Conscience Guard (MBCG) has accused Theophilus Danjuma, former chief of army staff, of being biased in the ongoing trial of Walter Onnoghen, ex-chief justice of Nigeria (CJN).

According to the group, these supposed Christian elders are not different from the biblical account of Peter, who betrayed Jesus Christ, using hate speeches and campaign of calumny to instigate other Christians.

The group warned the elders against fanning the embers of discord.

“The leadership of the Middle Belt Conscience Guard’s (MBCG) delightedly welcomes you to this press conference. We appreciate and thank Almighty God for his grace, mercies and kindness unto us as a people and a nation these years,ex-Chief of Army Staff, Raymond Enero, president of the group, said in a statement.

“The MBCG is once again motivated to address you on an urgent national matter. We outing today is premised on the fact that the explosive issue at hand has the potential of throwing our country into serious national crisis which would be of dire consequences to peace, unity and security of our country.

“Nigerians would recall that a few days ago, elder statesmen and leaders of thought respectively, under the banner of National Christian Elders Forum (NCEF) led by the trio of former Minister of Defence, Lt. Gen. Theophilus Danjuma (rtd), Gen. Joshua Dogonyaro (rtd) and former Governor of Old Anambra state, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife, released a public statement titled “CJN Onnoghen: What is Really at Stake and the Way Out.”

“In the statement, which oozed with hate speeches crafted to pitch Christians against Muslims in Nigeria, they launched an unjustifiable attack against the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, and innuendos reference to other prominent Nigerians the group baptized with the hateful label of “Islamists” and imposed all manner of resentful doctrines on these personalities.

“MBCG realized from the resentful wordings of NCEF’s statement that the cause of current umbrage is the ongoing controversy surrounding the suspension of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Justice Walter Onnoghen by the President based on the Order of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), where he is standing trial over alleged breach of code of conduct for public officers in Nigeria.

“Our focus is not to explore the propriety or impropriety of the President’s action or the innocence or culpability of Justice Onnoghen’s over the alleged breaches of the law. The matter is already at the level of adjudication by lawful courts. Therefore, describing it as a “judicial coup,” by NCEF is preempting the verdict of the court and amounts to contempt of court.

“But we infinitely frown at NCEF’s brazen attempt at incitement of Nigerians against themselves and the negative profiling of Mr. President, veiled personalities, religious sects and ethnic groups in the efforts to explain their bitterness in public domain.”